Peak of Hope (Much)
by Emblem of Light
Summary: AU In a world without despair, what challenges will Hope's Academy face? Will the challenges be external... or internal? As Makoto enters as Ultimate Luckster, he hides a very special card under his sleeves of deceit. Naegiri, Hinanami, Komamiki...more to be added. Also, Clumsy/Cunning Junko.
1. Prologue

Prologue: The Meeting

Tokyo: the capital of Japan. A city which endears culture and etiquette to the mass, whether local or foreigners. It serves as a reminder to Japan of the great ethnicity of its citizens and the talents that they offer to the world. Usually, the city offers some of the most well-known products such as sushi and kimonos, both local pieces of art which draw the attention of the outside world.

While Japan is indeed famous for not only its products, but also for its rich history and culture, it also has its bad side every now and then. Oh, it's nothing special; just the usual superiority over others and the bullying, young and old. Nothing much that differentiates them from the outside world.

It is summer as we speak and it's also Saturday. The hot sun in the high skies gleam over Tokyo, its rays touching everything that moves or doesn't move. Upon a particular area, a park; the trees, grass and people received the full force of the heat. Beads of sweat form on the park visitors' faces, but that did not stop them from coming here. Summer is a good way to bring the best out of stuff we usually take for granted. Take example of an ice-cream truck that was placed right outside the park. Children and adults both yearn for cold food to stick into their mouths, going into a blissful trance of coolness that exists only in ice-cream.

A boy sits quietly on a bench at the park's square beside an elderly woman. He wears a small blue t-shirt and black shorts. His hair is adorably messy with one hair sticking out like a sore thumb. Currently, the ice cream in his right hand was all he cared about. Licking every goodness out of it, he cherished the new cotton candy flavor that recently became a boom. ( **Try it. It's flippin' good**.)

The elderly woman smiled at his antics. She moved her head to view the park in itself. Wearing a dull-yellow blouse and orange long skirt, she adjusts her straw hat, adorned with a flower on the side of it, to cover herself under the shade of the item away from the glaring light of the orb in the sky. She watched the kids eating the same type of ice-cream with their parents under a large bountiful tree. She gave an evident smile at them, glad that they're appreciating the weather.

"Hey, Mom?" her son, the boy who was right beside her, asked for her attention. She turned and said,

"Yes, dearie?"

"I was wondering. When is Dad coming back?" Ah, the question that the boy had always asked every day without fail. It doesn't mean that he disliked his mother, no. It's just that he leans more on his father than her. It's not to say that it hurt her, but it does give her trouble on explaining her son about what his father does for a living.

She patted his head and answered, well more like asked, "Well, when do you think he's coming back?"

"He's coming back right before the fesdival!" the boy had finished his his ice-cream and gobbled up the cone rather humorously and cutely in the mother's eyes. He pushed himself off the bench and landed neatly on the ground. He continued, "He said that he's going to take us to see the firewoks fesdival tonight! He never bweaks a pwomise!"

The mother giggled, "That's 'promise', dear."

"Oh," he gave his biggest smile at his beloved mother, "Okay! Promise!"

"Good... Now, come on, Makoto. We wouldn't want to make your sister waiting for us, now don't we?"

Makoto Naegi, the spunky kid, followed his mother hand-in-hand. He has a problem that came with his birth. He learns slowly. No, really, _really, slowly_. Even at the age of seven, he already has trouble on speaking most of the words. This cause a grave worry for his mother, who lamented the fact that he will forever be this way unlike his sister. However, the father was very supportive of him. He talked to his wife, comforted her, saying that he can make it through all the way, and she was persuaded. Now, though, his mother has no qualms whatsoever about his condition.

" _He's my son_ ," she thought to herself, " _And it's my responsibility to take care of him_."

The boy, of course, knew he is slow in learning. But did it stop him? No.

Why? Because his family was there. Even when his school friends teased him all the time being the dead last of the class, he would cry and go to his parents. They comforted him, saying it's alright to take things slow. He was also being teased about being shorter than the others, but did he mind? Not without his parents' consent, he won't. And that changed him greatly. He loved his father and mother; and he loved his sister even more. Because his sister isn't like him, as normal as she could be, Makoto wished to be stronger for her. He wants to work harder for her sake because he refused to let her sister get bullied for his own condition. He'll fight for her, if he has to.

But asides that, they have arrived at Komaru Naegi's school. The duo waited by the entrance in the now late afternoon setting. Soon, they see Komaru in the horizon, running towards them with a paper that reads A+.

"Mom! Big Bro! Teacher said I was a good girl and got an A+ for Maths!"

"That's wonderful, dear!" the mother bent her knees low and widened his arms to catch the running girl. She caught her in a big hug and spun her around for a few seconds. She put her down on the ground, earning a gleeful grin meant for her.

"So, howwuz school today?" Makoto asked his sister. She pouted in her reply.

"Oh, those meanies! They said bad things about you so I showed them! I pulled their ears long enough so they won't do it again!" Makoto laughed at what his sister did. Their mother did the same.

"Well, at least you showed them not to mess with you! Come on, dear. Let's go home," with her daughter's hand grasped with her right and Makoto's with her left, they went back home.

* * *

Naegi Residence

The twist of a doorknob opened a wooden door to the living room, "Honey, I'm home! And I brought some guests just like I said!"

"Daddy!" Makoto came rushing to the living room and jumped into his father's embrace. The father held him firmly and patted his back. He smiled after receiving such a heartwarming invitation.

"I'm home, Makoto."

"Yup! You sure are!" he let go of his father and gave him the biggest grin he could muster. He's a happy camper, that's for sure.

"Is that your son, Kazuya? I can see a bit of you in him," he looked behind his father to find a man with stature. Makoto was aware of that. It wasn't hard to come to that conclusion, what with the formal get-up with very elegant-looking glasses and a tie to match his suit. Makoto wondered whether the man had ever felt hot in the stuffy uniform.

His father let his son down on the floor and made way for his guest to come in. the said guest extended his hand in for a small handshake with the small boy. He smiled, "My name is Jin Kirigiri. Nice to meet you."

Makoto shook his large aged hand, blinking twice at the name, but what his words came out surprised all who were present, "….Eh? Killing Gamey?"

"Big brother, don't say mean things to Daddy's friend!" Komaru rushed out from the kitchen to put her hands on her older sibling's mouth, ashamed with a blush of what her older sibling had said. Apparently, Makoto was not only a slow-learner but also a very blunt person. Because of his inept ability to process things the way a normal person would, he carelessly speaks without caution, sometimes causing a lot of trouble for himself. It was evident to his parents when their son came back from school crying, saying his friends hurt him for no reason. After some investigation and a much needed talk with the principal, they discovered the problem.

His father, Kazuya Naegi, bowed his head in apology towards Jin, albeit sweating profusely, "I am terribly sorry for my son's wording! You see, he-"

But Jin merely laughed at the surprisingly awkward moment. He waved his right hand to indicate that he's fine with it, "I'm sure Makoto didn't mean any harm in doing so. Isn't that right, Makoto?"

But the boy was interested in something else. He tilted his head sideward, pulling his sister's hands away from his mouth, "What's 'harm'?"

Chuckling, Jin decided to entertain the boy. He put his index right finger up and explained, "Harm is to hurt someone's feelings or to physically injure a person with no repercussion whatsoever."

A definition that was definitely more confusing than the word itself. Kazuya literally slapped his own forehead in the hilarity and worry of the situation, "There you go again, Jin. Spouting out crazy meanings for really simple words."

"I don't know wut it means, but," Makoto smiled cheerfully, "You look like a vewwy nize guy!"

"Why, thank you, Makoto. It means a lot coming from you – unlike your father," he patted the young boy's head while glancing mischievously at Kazuya, whose face frowned at his attempted tease. Makoto giggled at the two's interactions.

Kazuya cleared his throat, "In any case, Mr. Kirigiri and his family will be joining us later tonight for the fireworks festival. Now, hurry up, kids. We're going to miss the festival if we're late!"

"Okay!" said the two in unison. They went up the stairs and into their rooms, changing into proper apparel. Meanwhile, Kazuya offered Jin a seat on his sofa. He himself sat on a chair the opposite of him.

"I'm sorry for my child. You see, he's been diagnosed to have slow brain reading. Thus, it disrupts his ability to learn things, making it slower than usual. Even now, it is at the worst time for the condition to be at its peak. Frankly, I'm not even sure if he'll remember what happened tonight."

"So, that's why he couldn't recognize my name," Jin held his chin thoughtfully. He visited the Naegi residences several times prior to this date. He met with Kazuya's family and, despite not knowing about his saddening truth, had a great time with the boy. He told him his name before, so he wondered why Makoto acted as if he did not know him.

"Again, I am sorry, Jin-san," he said with a bow from his seat. Jin shook his head.

"It's alright, Kazuya-san. In fact, I'm interested as to how you've managed to help him learn. He already learnt basic commands such as 'go to your room' and signals such as when you returned home. What's the key to that?"

"W-Well," Kazuya scratched the back of his head hesitantly with furrowed brows and an awkward smile plastered on his face, "we started doing a reward system for the family. We told them, both Komaru and Makoto, that if they did something new, they should do it consistently for the whole week. That's how Makoto learns his manners. Every day, everything was now new to him, so he couldn't help but be shocked that he had done it before! We were so happy when…"

As he told his story, which Jin heartily listened, the thumping sound of a child's feet on the floor did not shake them from their conversation.

"Daddy, Daddy! Look!" yelled Komaru. Kazuya cut the conversation and turned to see his beloved daughter wearing a lovely yukata. It was navy blue with intricate Japanese flower designs flowing only on one side of the Japanese garment. Komaru wore a beautiful white rose, Shiroibara, attached to hairclip on her hair. It symbolizes the devotion and innocence of the young girl.

Kazuya grinned, bedazzled by his little girl's charms, "Wow, Komaru, you look really pretty in that dress! I bet you're the most beautiful lady in all of Japan right now!"

Komaru blushed at the comment her father made and giggled in response. Suddenly, loud thuds were heard from the top of the stairs.

"W-Wait! Wh-Whooaaaaa!" Makoto came tumbling down the stairs and crashed into the wall, grunting in pain. Kazuya went up from his chair quickly and went to check his son's state. He knelt in front of the boy and picked him up from the floor. He brushed the dust that clung to Makoto's black yukata.

He showed his index finger in front of Makoto's face, which became confused, and said, "Always look down when going down the stairs."

"Okay!" Makoto answered. The usual answer his father will always get no matter what the situation is. The father sighed. He soon regained his smiled when he took a good look at his yukata.

It was black – pitch black – with white designs depicted to be a dragon. He always imagined the dragon to be the famed Watatsumi, a dragon able to transform into a human.

"Daddy?" Kazuya looked at his child's eyes, "I don't know what this is." Makoto pointed at the same depiction that he admired so much. Chuckling, Kazuya explained,

"That, Makoto, is a dragon. You see, dragons are an important part of our culture. They are the gods responsible for the waters that flow in our lands," He placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder, sporting a serious expression, "Makoto… as you grow older, I want you to be the dragon hidden in human form. Your power to control the flow of water will be your greatest asset and your kindness will calm even the greatest of evil."

Words unknown to the mind of a slow-learner, he surprisingly was quiet, almost as if he understood the words of his father. Kazuya was worried; had he said something that shouldered the boy too much of a burden? Or was it because he couldn't understand a single of what he said? He got his answer when he smiled.

"Okay!" Kazuya chuckled once more at the basic answer. He had expected he wouldn't understand, though he hoped he will soon enough.

Note the word 'hoped'.

"Daddy, when are we going to the festival?" asked the petite younger sibling behind him. He looked back, a bit flustered by the sudden but obvious question,

"We're going with Mr. Kirigiri and his family. I thought I told you that just moments ago."

* * *

After some time, mainly making sure Makoto did not stumble when running, the whole Naegi family were prepped up with their own yukatas – the father and mother wearing matching turquoise colours. Kazuya motioned his kids to come along outside their house. They exited the door and found Jin still wearing his formal attire.

Kazuya arched an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to change somewhere? Don't tell me your wife didn't prepare one for you."

"Actually, I have some errands to attend. You know, for the project I talked to you about."

"Hope's Peak project, you mean," Kazuya frowned. Jin often focused too much on his latest work. Supposedly, the way it works will benefit not only the applicants of the project, but the whole world. The brand name 'Hope's Peak' was thought to be suitable as the name for it. However, because of that, Jin devoted his entire commitment to it. And that was just when his daughter turned seven last year.

"Have you packed your belongings, Jin-kun?" a new voice popped up behind the formal man. It was a fair-skinned ponytail-haired woman wearing a dark purple yukata with exceptional floral designs. Judging by hindsight and craft of the yukata itself, it must an expensive purchase.

"Yes, I have. I have to go now, honey," Jin went to his wife gave a kiss on her forehead, "Farewell." He passed his wife and headed straight for the car, presumed to have a driver already. However, he was stopped by a small girl. The girl had short smooth lavender hair and wears a light purple yukata with no design on it. A small hair accessory, shaped like a small black butterfly, adorns her hair. Not only that, she also sports a braid on the side, tied with a black ribbon. The girl held a piercing gaze to her father, Jin Kirigiri, with her purple eyes.

Jin sighed while he closed his eyes. He knew it would come to this. He opened them back and crouched to with his daughter on eye-level, "I'm sorry, Kyoko. But Daddy's got some work to do. Maybe at a later time, okay?"

Kyoko never said a word, though her face was sad. Instead, she slowly nodded to his question. Jin stood up from his position and went past his daughter as well. As he opened the door of the black car, he faced to his friend, Kazuya, and said, "Have a good time tonight, Kazuya-san," then to Kyoko, "And you too, Kyoko."

He entered the car and closed the door, never said a word afterwards. The car drove off, leaving his family and Kazuya's family to do what they planned to do.

"Hi!" but Makoto sprang up in front of the young lavender girl, catching her by surprise. She yelped in shock of the boy in front of him, but she kept quiet. Makoto blinked once and introduced himself, "I'm Makoto Naegi! What's yer name?"

"It's pronounced-"

"Hush, dear!" Kazuya's wife quieted him, confused as to why she said that. The look on her face indicated that she knew something.

Kyoko, not used to talking with kids her age, spoke softly, "Kyoko…. Kyoko Kirigiri."

"Kyoko? That's a reawwy…uh, what's the word?" Makoto scratched his head, trying to figure out the term that is commonly used for this situation. Kyoko looked at him like he is some sort of a weird kid. She looked at her mother, who shrugged and smiled, ushering her to interact with him. Kyoko frowned.

"I got it!" he pointed a finger at her accusingly, causing Kyko to lean backwards out of fear, "cute! Yer name is cute!"

"H-Huh?!" was the only thing she voiced out. Red tinged her cheeks as she processed what the boy had said about her name. Fazed by his words, Kyoko did not hear what Makoto heard around them: the laughter of both their parents and his sister.

"Hahahah! Oh, Makoto. You sure know how to impress a lady!" said Kazuya, his father.

"B-Big brother hahahaha! You can't say that to a girl!"

"I-I can't?" Makoto furrowed his brows in worry and confusion. He crossed his arms and thought heavily on what he said. He couldn't, "Why can't I….?"

Kyoko's mother gave a light chuckle at the adorable scene. She explained, "Sometimes girls are complicated, Makoto. They might think you actually like them."

"M-Mom!" shouted the young Kirigiri, blushing. But Makoto thought otherwise. There was one other reason why he thought it best to compliment her.

"It don't have to be about liking them right? I mean, what if they're shy?" Makoto pointed out that fact. Kazuya noticed his explanation which he suddenly gave interest to, "If a girl is shy, then I have to help her be not shy, right? That way, I can pway with her! Even Komaru can, too! That way, Kyoko can be happy and have fun!"

Kyoko widened her eyes, not believing just how much he cared for her feelings. Heck, everyone was surprised, Kazuya especially. Never in his time spent with him had he witnessed Makoto being so caring about others aside from Komaru. Then again, that's probably because of how inept he was in making friends, but still. This new discovery got him thinking: Makoto is still human, no matter how you look at it. He may be a slow-learner, but he certainly has a heart of gold.

"Th-Thank you, Makoto," Makoto turned to the smiling Kyoko, who blushed under his sight, "Thank you for being so considerate."

She thanked him, Makoto thought, so he must have done it right. "Eh…I dunno wut that means, but yer welcome!" Makoto said with a grin. Kyoko giggled, already feeling better since her dad left for work.

Thinking now is the time to cut their conversation, Kazuya clapped his hands twice and said, "Alright, alright. Let's go to the festival already."

* * *

Their time at the festival was a blast. The adults and kids did a lot of stuff when they arrived at where the stalls were. Komaru and Kyoko became quick friends, though the latter had a hard time trying to understand Komaru's brother. She did not understand how he still did not know about festivals when, supposedly, his family have done this many times already. Komaru tried to explain to her the best way she can about his condition, which was later clarified by her mother, Miko Naegi. Only then the lavender-haired girl understood.

Makoto, Komaru and Kyoko played fish-scooping where they use a poi to catch goldfish in a small pool. The stall running this game said that if they could catch three fishes, the one child can get a plush toy. There were many variants, so the kids were eager to get one. Their parents were more than happy to give them the required small sum of money to play the game.

"Aha! I got one!" Komaru cheered victoriously. The stall manager placed the gold fish into a plastic bag full of water right beside her other catch on a table. Right now, Komaru has caught two fishes and Kyoko's the same. As for Makoto,

"Awwww, it broke again," he broke his poi for the fourth time. Even though he had enough money for five more, much to his father's generosity and his mother's irritation, he knew he might blew the final poi up.

"Here," a hand held his right hand holding the poi. He turned to his arm's side and saw Kyoko smiling at him, "Let me help you."

Kyoko guided his hand and moved the poi gently, unlike his previous aggressive methods, and scooped up one gold-like fish. Both of them had happy faces when they caught it. The stall owner took the fish into a plastic bag and place it on the empty part of the counter. The two of them did it together again and caught another one. Then, Makoto said, "I'll twy again!"

Kyoko nodded and released his arm. She continued using her own poi. After a while, all three of them managed to catch three fishes each.

"Alright, what do you want, kiddo?"

"I want that creepy ghost, over there!"

The owner sweat dropped, "My, for a girl, you sure love some strange stuff."

"Mm-hmm!" she hummed as she giddily took the white caped ghost doll away from the owner's hands. The said manager turned to the other two, starting to ask the female.

"Well, what do you want, little miss?"

"Ummm..," she actually did not know what she wanted. She held her chin in thought, deciding on what she would really like as she browsed the shelves. She then noticed Makoto by a glance that he held his chin too. Seeing him copying her ways made her chuckle which was covered by her hands.

Hearing the laugh, Makoto turned and felt confused, "Wut's wrong?"

"N-No, haha, nothing. Anyways, what do you want to get?"

Makoto thought long and hard. He looked back at the shelves. He then spotted a familiar shape of a plush. He looked back at his yukata, identifying the dragon art. Sure, the art on his clothes didn't have any wings or limbs for the matter, but the plush toy did have the shape of the dragon's face similarly. Deciding based on that, he pointed at that plush toy, "There! That one!"

"Oho, this one? You're a lucky kid. This is one of the last few that's in stock! In fact, I have another one with a different colour."

"Then I'll take that one!" Kyoko stated. Makoto turned his head at her while she turned hers. In an awkward moment, they both stifled a laugh. Their parents merely smiled at the interaction between the two kids.

"Both of you are just cute. Here, one for each of ya! Thank you very much for coming to our store!"

"Yay! Thanks a lot, Mr. Owner!" thanked Komaru happily. The two kids received their respective dragons: orange for Makoto and black for Kyoko. All three of them held onto their plush toys for as long as they can remember.

Other than the game, they bought some delicious from the food section of the festival. Makoto, Komaru and Kyoko treated themselves with some takoyaki. The parents decided to try some red bean taiyaki ( **In case you didn't know, it's a fish shaped pastry with hot filling)** as the group walked even further to the location where they will view the fireworks.

It was after a while in their walk that Makoto noticed Kyoko was lagging behind. He looked back and saw the sad face reappearing on her pretty features as she continued munching her cooled half-eaten takoyaki. Makoto stopped and turned to Kyoko, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh?" she said as she also stopped walking.

Kazuya looked back to see the both of them at a halt. Wondering why, he called out to them, "Hey, you two! C'mon, you're go-"

"Oh, honey! The fireworks are starting soon! Come on, Komaru!"

"Huh? Wait, Mommy!"

Kyoko's mother chuckled, "You certainly have a way with this matter, Mrs. Naegi."

"H-Huh?! W-Wait, Miko. The kids! Whoaaa!" were the last words from Kazuya as all of them were pushed by Miko to the fireworks viewpoint, leaving the other two behind.

Unaware of this, Makoto and Kyoko started talking to each other.

"So, wut's up?"

"Nothing, it's just…well…. Dad never used to miss out on festivals like this."

"Your dad? What did he do make you sad?" Kyoko looked blankly at him until she realized he could not understand what his father had done only a while ago unless it's plastered right in front of him. Kyoko explained,

"Well, my dad's working with some of his colleagues for a project. Do you know something called 'Hope's Peak'?"

"Hmmmmmm nope, can't say I wemember." Ah, I forgot one more thing. Because of his neural disability, he is also prone to forget details not related to him or small enough to forget. How he defines a detail as small….well, we'll learn about it in the future.

Kyoko, of course, expected that kind of answer and sighed dramatically.

"But I know that dads will always wowwy. I mean, evewything they do is fow us, wight?" explained Makoto. Kyoko contemplated the idea of it, but she still could not accept that her father left her to do her own things. But Makoto wasn't done yet.

"And besides, if dads don't wowk, then it's the end of days! …... at least, that's how Dad told me. What else did tell me….? Ah! Future benefits! I think. Hehe," he ended with a scratch on his cheek and an awkward grin.

Kyoko understood what he meant. Surprisingly, she understood what he meant, I repeat. She thought she was the only one who understood what his father had to go through. And she hated that fact. She wished that his father would just not care about the project anymore. After all, it was just after her birthday that it came up and about.

But another shared her pain, even if he didn't understand what it feels like. And he's standing right in front of him.

" _He knows it too, but he's also sad about it. Even if he doesn't know, he'll wonder if his father will ever come back every day,_ " Kyoko walked up to the boy and held his free hand to put it up between them. With a determined expression, she said, "I know. Thank you…..and you will understand it soon enough."

Silence between them, one with the face of seriousness while the other with the face….of confusion. But Kyoko knows – she definitely knows – that he will understand these words in the end. Even if he forgets them, it will still bring effect upon him.

Holding her black dragon tightly to her chest, "Now, come on. Let's go see the fireworks!"

"O-Okay!" Makoto, with his dragon in tow, was pulled by hand to the viewpoint. It was at that moment, he realized, that he felt some sort of understanding with Kyoko. " _Kyoko….. something, right?_ " he thought, " _I wonder…..will I ever remember you? Cuz Dad said I have short term memory loss or something. But I'll remember your name…. Kyoko_."

..

..

..

You do realize we're talking about the Ultimate Luckster here, right? And he's a slow-learner in this story.

..

..

..

What changed him?

* * *

9 years later, making him 17 years old

" _Ugh, I hate Maths._ "

"Should've known better than to slack off during the holidays," replied Makoto in his puberty voice, chuckling afterwards. He sat leisurely, holding his phone right on his ears, in a cab which was transporting him to a rather prestigious school, though he did not know what the name was yet. Even so, he admired the view he got from the window. Various universities and schools awaited him, yet one academy yearned for him to their offer by chance. His father, Kazuya Naegi, happily obliged.

" _You will enjoy great things there. Maybe even find the perfect girl for ya! At least, that's what your mother said,_ " his father told him hours ago.

"Sigh….why would he even say that?" he muttered.

" _Big brother? Is something wrong?"_

"No, no, it's nothing. And then?"

They continued their long-distance conversation until he saw what appeared to be the largest building he had ever seen. He felt the car slow down, signaling him to stop, "Komaru, I gotta go. I'm already here."

" _Oh, okay, big brother. Have fun learning in Hope's Peak Academy. Love you!_ " he hung up. So that was the name of the academy he is about to enter, he thought.

He opened the door and stepped outside the car, taking a deep breath of fresh air. Upon hindsight, he might look frail under his current outfit – a green zipped-up hoodie with black jeans – but he had been doing… stuff for his own self. He looked more lenient, confident and prepared as he stepped forward with the luggage already removed from the car's boot thanks to the driver. He gauged the size of the building. Humongous and rather expensive-looking, Makoto's expectations go ever higher.

"And….there. Well, this is quite a surprise. I guess you must have a done a pretty good job in whatever you do."

"Huh?" Makoto was caught off guard. He turned to the driver and scratched his own cheek shyly, "Oh, really? Nah, I just got lucky. That's why they gave the title 'Ultimate Luckster' to me. It's because I won the lucky raffle, is all."

"Oh? Well, if you ask me, I wouldn't believe in luck at all. Personally, I think fate brought you here," the driver laughed.

" _Funny. I thought the same thing._ "

"Welp, if that's all, I'm goin'. Have fun in the academy," with that, the driver went into the car and drove off. Makoto's luggage, consisting only a backpack and a huge luggage bag, waited patiently for its owner to pick them up. Makoto wore his backpack properly and pulled the handle of his luggage. He hurriedly walked to the opened entrance.

"Have fun, huh?" he said it out loud. He walked on and on until he found what appeared to be a lobby of sorts, "I guess I might as well do that."

Thus, the school life of the Lying Makoto begins.

* * *

Author's notes:

Emblem of Light...there, i said it.

A/N I changed Kyoko's age because I want to. Enough said.

Just so you know, I intentionally made mistakes for young Makoto's dialogue.

Makoto is 5'6 inches tall cuz he did some groundwork on his body. You'll see why.

Ill tell you something. This is my side story. I have to focus on the other two of mine. I just need this out of my system.

But I will make a chapter appear in this story when i feel a need of change. You can follow this story if you want.

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	2. First Names

Chapter 2: First Names

The lobby, or rather the entrance hall, was rather simple for such a high-end school. In fact, Makoto felt it was quite natural for almost any boarding school to have this sort of vibe. The entrance hall is spacious, no doubt, with a red and white lobby desk smack dab in the middle of the entire area. Behind the furniture was a set of large stairs supposedly to be the way to the classes and other facilities. The pillars supporting the room lined up vertically from both sides, almost like still soldiers awaiting the arrival of an individual which, in this case, is Makoto Naegi. As he gazed around the room entrenched by white-grey walls, he heard someone call his name, "Ah, you must be one of the Ultimate students, yes? May I ask your name?"

Makoto blinked in surprise and turned to see a man who looked like he's in his thirties. He has black hair with a Caesar cut and black rimmed reading glasses. His build is rather lean and fit, though not muscular. He wears a dull red jumper with light brown slacks. His face was of a gentle sort as he smiled warmly at the newcomer. He puts his hands in his pocket and said, "Sorry if I startled you. What's your Ultimate, by the way?"

"O-Oh. Well, it's nothing special. Just Ultimate Luckster," replied Makoto as his body felt rigid. He seemed nervous and quite uncomfortable, seeing as he was forced to speak with a person he had never seen before. He positioned his luggage so that it would not fall as he adjusted his backpack on his back. He asked the stranger shyly, "Um, are you the recipient I'm supposed to look for?"

He nodded. "Yup, that's me all right," he turned his body sideways and gestured the boy to follow him. Makoto obliged. They walked together with the latter behind him until they reached the desk. "Wait here for a moment," suggested the recipient as he went behind the desk and grabbed something from inside one of the drawers. He showed Makoto a dangling object: the key to his room.

"This is the key to your room," Makoto put out his hand as he placed the keys within his grasp. He felt the cold steel of the key being warmed by his body temperature. "Now if you would please follow me. I'll show you where you'll be staying for the rest of your years here in the academy."

"Okay, but, um, may I ask your name? I'm Makoto, by the way," asked Makoto. The man seemed quite surprised but smiled softly at him afterwards.

"Sure thing. My name is Hirato. A pleasure to meet you, Makoto," the two of them formed a handshake as formality. They continued their way to the dorms.

Before they do, though, they were met by an incredulous scream.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" it sounded like a girl's voice, though the nature of the voice must be of fear due to it likened to that of a banshee's wailing. Makoto winced at the force of the volume while Hirato picked his ears off like it was nothing. Makoto looked shocked.

"Wait, that's not normal around here, is it?"

Hirato turned around with a wide-eyed look, "Oh, you mean that? Nah, something must have happened to one of the students. But I think it's fine to leave them be."

Makoto gulped, already considering whether it really was such a good idea to study here in the first place.

* * *

They arrived at the dorm's entrance, which was basically two large wooden doors barring their way for entry. Hirato opened the left side of the door to the long hallway. The said hallway is rather exquisite with its dark bronze walls adorned by large paintings hung on the left side. The floor is carpeted red and adds comfort to anyone, regardless of footwear, when they step on it. To Makoto, this seemed too real to be a dorm. In fact, one could even say he could be mistaken to enter a hotel rather than an academy of any sort!

They walked further, passing by the wonderfully carved wooden doors with golden door knobs, and stopped at a certain point in front of one with a door plate with Makoto's name on it. Hirato twisted the door knob and pushed the door away to reveal Makoto's room. He walked into his room with luggage in hand first, courtesy of Hirato's inviting gesture. He dropped his luggage instantly.

The room is enough for Makoto to be allowed space to do whatever he wants. The queen-sized bed is positioned at the center of the wall to his right with a bedside table to boot. There is a study desk made of possibly one of the highest quality of wood there is, painted in light brown, and is placed at the wall opposite to Makoto's bed.

There are two windows: one to the right of the bed and the other to the right of the desk as well. The walls are light grey with a touch of turquoise to give a calming presence in the room. Besides the desk is a large black wardrobe closet, its interior spacious enough to put two weeks' worth of clothes inside it – and then some. The floor is dark blue with white stripes lined vertically from the door.

"Whoa," was all he said as he admired the design of the pieces of furniture. Hirato shook his head amusingly, thinking that every student like him was amazed by the room every time.

"Yup, this is your room, kiddo. Hard to believe it's yours now, huh?"

"Uh-huh….," Makoto continued to be in awe. Hirato leaned on the side of the door, waiting for a few seconds before he said something.

"Well, I gotta go, so here's your keys," Makoto blinked and faced the man who handed out a key in front of him. He hesitantly took the keys from the recipient who then dug his pockets to find one more thing, "Ah, here we go." He presented Makoto a letter. The latter gently held the letter away from the man and took a good look at it. "Open that letter once I'm gone. It's something very important for you, for protocol's sake. Well, good luck living here."

"Yeah, okay. Thank you, Hirato-san!" Makoto gave his farewells as Hirato exited his room. Makoto clasped his hands with excitement, smiling to the beginning of his new life here at Hope's Peak Academy, "All right!" he placed both the keys and the letter on the oh-damn-soft blanket covering his bed.

He went to his luggage leaned against the side of the bed and laid it down to open it. He unzipped his case and placed all of its contents out of the bag neatly in one place. He placed his all of his clothes on the bed, categorizing them properly from shirts to underwear to sweaters. After that was done, he focused his attention to a short stack of books tied by a string. He untied it and put them all on the desk. Next, he decided to go to his backpack. He crouched in front of the bag and unzipped the main zipper. Inside was a special souvenir that he obtained years ago.

He carefully picked the plush toy out of the bag and placed it on the table beside his bed. He made sure that eyes of the orange dragon was facing the bed. It to him, it is crucial for the dragon to face the bed because it made him relive one memory over and over again.

" _Kyoko_ ," the name managed to stick with him all these years, yet he, unfortunately, had forgotten anything that remotely resembled or was related to her. Every day, every night, he would wonder just what happened to the girl. After all, they moved out of Tokyo the month after the festival ended. He cursed his damned brain over and over for forgetting all the supposedly great times he had with the girl, according to what his sister told him.

He also cursed his previously inept ability to remember the girl's features, likes and dislikes, and everything about the girl. He also regretted that he did not get a camera to capture those wonderful, precious moments.

That dragon plush toy was the grave of his lost memories. Now, 'Kyoko" was engraved into its headstone.

..

..

..

But notice the word 'previously'.

" _Maybe that's why I'm called the Ultimate Luckster_ …. _Wait, the letter_ ," he picked the letter up and slipped it open. It said,

 _Dear Mr. Naegi,_

 _Get your butt down here._

 _Yours faithfully,_

 _Mr Jin Kirigiri_

 _Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy_

He sweat dropped. "W-Well, he seems like a casual kind of guy," he assumed nervously.

He folded the letter into his pockets and zipped his bag and backpack. He took the keys and headed for the door.

After he was out of his room, he locked it up with the keys given to him. He noticed that there were two keys connected by a small ring. He made a mental note to ask Hirato about it later on.

"Ugggghhhhh," he heard the voice of a loud groan. A door was opened behind him, the one opposite to his. He turned around to meet it slightly opened with the head of tenant popping out of the room. From what Makoto could tell, he looked tired as hell.

The tenant is male and has short, spiky brown hair with some of its hair sticking out like a sore thumb: an ahoge. His eyes have a straight line running across his pupil. However, he looked so exhausted his eyes are barely open. There are wrinkles on his face that indicate tiredness. His expression was of annoyance judging by his grouchy frown. His ahoge was bended instead of its sprouting posture.

"H-hi," Makoto slowly waved a hello, unsure of how to approach his first interaction with a dorm mate, "My name's Makoto Naegi. N'Nice to meet you."

Silence was his reply, though he gave a once over to Makoto. Suddenly, his ahoge acted up, twitching twice. He slammed his door immediately, most likely to continue his rest from the way Makoto saw it.

" _Well, that was weird,_ " he thought to himself. He decided to shrug it off and head to the Headmaster's room. "Oh, yeah," he thought of an idea, "I should try and get some lunch. It's going to be afternoon soon. Plus, Mr. Kirigiri never said anything about getting to his office early, so why not tour the facilities first? I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Although the wording of the sentence was specifically intended to hurry him up, Makoto ignored the letter and chose to go with his plan.

* * *

In possibly one of most blessed areas to be invented, the cafeteria was quite empty, mostly due to the students not available until later. Loads of round tables are placed around with six to eight chairs for each of them. As it is quite a huge area, there is a section with sofas and short rectangular table set in front of a TV attached to the wall. Then, there is the long counter at the back of the cafeteria. It separated the kitchen from it, where all the wonders of food are created.

Makoto wondered what's being served for lunch, but he then noticed a lone figure sitting in one of the tables with a computer being used. He walked right to the stranger.

From the back, the figure had some sort of a green uniform with a brown skirt. He or she has a thin doll-like figure with short, light brown, layered hair. Makoto thought that the stranger must be a girl, so he decided to take it slow, considering how blunt-headed he is with his words. Yeah, his sister told him that, too.

He tilted his head sideways to take a peek at what the girl is doing with her computer, its screen comprising of numbers and letters that he could not understand. The girl then fidgeted before him and turned, her greenish-brown eyes widened in shock of the newcomer's sudden appearance, "Aah!"

"Agh!" he yelped as he took a step backwards which was his complete undoing. He tripped himself and fell on his back side, groaning in pain. The girl then gave him a hand to pull. He gladly accepted the gesture and got back on his feet instantly. The girl apologized.

"I am so sorry! I didn't know you were right behind me and then I screamed causing you to fall backwards and-"

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy! I'm okay. That's all that matters in the end, I think," Makoto scratched the back of his head with a grin. He continued, "Anyways, I think I should introduce myself after causing you trouble. My name's Makoto Naegi. And you are?" he extended his hand in friendly gesture.

The girl shook his head, "No, you didn't give me any trouble. And I'm Chihiro Fujisaki. Nice to meet you!" they both formed a handshake. Makoto was the first to let go.

"So, mind if you tell me how did you come here?"

"Oh, okay. You know that I'm sort of like an expert with computers, right?" Makoto nodded. He remembered that there were figures and streams of data which couldn't understand what it meant at all, "Well, you see, I am the Ultimate Programmer. I can program stuff and make software and do all sorts of stuff computer-wise!" she finished it off with aplomb. Makoto was impressed, naturally.

"Wow, really?! That's gotta be neat! I'm just the Ultimate Luckster so, heh, I don't really have much of a talent unlike yours," he rubbed his nose as he introduced his Ultimate. It seemed that he had been touching his face a lot lately.

Chihiro wondered just how lucky he must be if he obtained the title 'Ultimate Luckster'. It must be pretty damn high if he could enter a prestigious school like where he is now. Makoto asked a question to her.

"So, how long have you been here in this academy?"

"Me?" she put a hand on her chest, as if asking if it was her he was talking about, "I just got here recently. I got called for the 78th class."

"Really? How did you know which class you're at?"

"You'll have to go see the Headmaster if you want to know more than just your class. I bet he's got a much better explanation than I do."

" _Huh,"_ he thought, " _I guess I'll ask him when I do._ "

"So, where are you going, exactly?" Chihiro asked curiously. Makoto thought about going to the headmaster's office immediately. However, he desperately wanted to do a little sightseeing.

"Hmmm… I want to tour the academy first. I mean, I should get acquainted with the area. I'll go to the headmaster's office at a later time." But Chihiro would not have it any other way. She pouted in anger and argued.

"You can't make the headmaster wait! It's rude!" Makoto was quite taken aback by the girl's outburst, but she kept going, "You can't make him wait! I say you head straight towards him and settle this!"

Considering that he had no say in this, Makoto relented, "Alright, alright. Jeez, you sound like my mom."

"Then she's a very good mom, if you had to say that. Though, that's a bad thing for me, right?" she cringed at the thought of being like that. Makoto saw her expression and chuckled softly.

"I guess you're the kind that don't think twice when it's about polite manners. Well, it was nice meeting you, even it is for a while."

She smiled in response, "Same with me, too. I hope we'll be in the same class."

"Yeah, me too," he took off to find the headmaster's office.

* * *

Turns out he hadn't got shit on where the hell is the office.

" _Damn, should've asked her where it was. Oh well, might as well check out what they offer here,_ " with that in mind, he wandered aimlessly as he viewed the facilities he happened to pass by. There are various facilities like the greenhouse room and the chemistry labs. He even found the classrooms that will harbor students coming tomorrow. Then, he stumbled upon the biology lab on the fifth floor-

OOF!

Makoto stumbled backwards as an unknown force in front of him pushed him back. He forced his body to be stable and looked to the front. The force was a tall and slender man with long shoulder-length messy black hair. He wears a dress shirt tucked-in half, a loosely worn black tie with red decals printed on it. His lower-half consists of black trousers, a belt, and bathroom slippers. He was apparently carrying a book by his right side.

The man hummed thoughtfully, causing Makoto to look a bit hesitant to talk to him, and demanded haughtily, "Who are you?"

"Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Luckster," he said without missing a beat. He felt like he had to. Somehow, this guy he's talking to just gave him the chills. He proceeded to prod on the theory, "And you are?"

"Don't ask questions to people you might hate later on," Makoto held a silent glare at his aloof yet rude attitude. The man went inside the bio-lab with his final words as a farewell. "See ya 'round, Luckster."

And the door shut in front of the boy who was seething with hate. Yet he could not help but wonder who he really is to be able to get away with that. " _It takes all kinds of people to make a school, I guess_ "

He decided to let it go and went off. He then had the idea to find a school directory, which he did.

* * *

Now, in front of the headmaster's office, Makoto gulped in anticipation of the man to call upon his name as he knocked on his doors.

"Come in," he called. Makoto opened the wooden entrance and found himself in the headmaster's office.

The office was large, no doubt, with black sofas being present with a glass rectangular table being the middle of it. Behind that section is a large desk with the flag of japan placed on the edge of it. Papers and a computer were laid on it specifically so the headmaster could gain easy access to information by a stone's throw away. A chair, being occupied by an older man, hid behind that table.

The man was busy reading a file. Makoto thought it best not to interrupt his reading as he crept in closer than needed to the sofas. Desiring to sit on one of them, he made a shuffling noise which disrupted the headmaster's focus.

"Hm?" he raised his head up from the files and found a boys sitting anxiously on the sofa. He recognized who it was and detached himself from the chair immediately. With a happy smile, he called him, "Makoto Naegi! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"E-Eh?" things started to get awkward for Makoto until he realized that the headmaster may have met him before his 'luck' came. Still, it felt weird for him to meet someone who he actually met but forgot about him entirely. ( **Don't we all?** ) He stood up immediately in response to his call.

The man circled round the table until he faced Makoto without any obstructions and gave him a hug. Makoto gave an awkward pat on his back, receiving the gesture with surprise. After a while, Jin released his hold on Makoto and began to talk, "Well, how are things faring for you, Makoto? Is your Dad still working?"

"Um, yeah, he's working as a hotel manager in Nagoya," he replied. Jin reminisced the times when he had worked with Kazuya on a certain hotel project. They used to laugh all the times about the mistakes and breakthroughs they achieved together. Now, those memories are kept close to his heart as that was the very reason why he never backed down on any project.

He gave a pat on the boy's shoulder, "Well, don't just stand there! Sit, please."

"O-Okay," Makoto sat down on the sofa again. Jin took the liberty of occupying the sofa adjacent to Makoto and sat there. Looking at the boy, Jin could not help but be amazed by how much the boy had grown. Back then he was only a frail boy with but the slightest sliver of hope for him to live on in the real world. Surprisingly, Makoto braved against the tides of facts and did the impossible: he got lucky.

"Um, just so you know, I'm the Ultimate Luckster. I'm the one who won the lucky raffle that my sister did for me?"

"Ah, yes, yes. But, either way, we would choose you anyways, Makoto."

"Wh-Why's that!?" he asked incredulously.

Jin straightened his back and held a serious face, "You see, we did plan to just allow anyone to enter by luck. Of course, I had some trouble by allowing that by the school board," he came to realize just how stupid of an idea it was for him, "we managed to get the deal and held the lucky raffles contest. However, when we found out about you who happened to take part of the contest…. Well, needless to say, we did a rundown on your condition."

"What kind of rundown? Is it about….," Makoto quieted down, thinking that must be the case to which the Kirigiri headmaster nodded.

"That's right, Makoto," it was obvious, really. Not only had Makoto won the lucky raffles contest, but he also survived the harsh life of an inept leaner for many years. How he handled that eventually was beyond Jin' understanding. However, one thing's for sure, and he smiled for it, "How are you with learning?"

"I….well, you see…..um…..yeah….I can learn…..I can finally remember what happened yesterday and the day after and the day after. I don't have memories of those when I was a child. But now, I can remember. That's all that matters." Makoto's face lightened up as he explained his conditions. He shrugged and closed his eyes, reminiscing the moment where he actually started remembering stuff, "I was fifteen years old when that happened. Too bad it couldn't have come sooner. Still, I'm quite lucky, aren't I?"

"Don't say that, Makoto," he opened his eyes and looked at the headmaster who furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, "It may or may not come sooner, but now here you are: alive and kicking. And to top it all, you can finally learn! You're more like blessed than lucky, Mr. Naegi."

"Mr Kirigiri…..." he stared at Jin with wonder. In truth, he was right in that aspect. The ahoge boy should be grateful for he is finally able to keep up with students, make friends with them normally and actually find something to do rather than nothing. Yes, nothing is more blessed for a child than to be able to learn.

"Well, for me, I'm glad you're alright. Also…" Jin quieted down at the last second, earning a curious blink from Makoto. " _Should I? He might have forgotten her after for such a long time…._ "

"Mr Kirigiri? Is there something wrong?" he questioned with interest. It's not every day that the headmaster is hesitant in telling a student something of vital information.

" _No,"_ he chuckled suddenly, thinking of a mischievous idea, " _I'll let_ _ **her**_ _decide whether he truly is the Makoto she once knew_." Jin pushed himself off the sofa and straightened his tie, signaling Makoto that he was done for that time. "Well, in any case, I hope you will find in your heart to love this school. We hope that you and your class will succeed just like our first graduates!"

"Yeah, so do I," Makoto stood up and thanked Jin, "Thank you, Mr Kirigiri, for accepting this lucky student," He flashed a friendly smiled towards Jin who responded with his own. They formed a handshake and not long after that, Jin went to his desk and picked up a small bluish green tablet. He gave it to Makoto who held it with two hands, feeling the light weight of the device while eyeing the item with fascination.

"That, Mr Naegi, is an e-Handbook. It's a Hope's Peak essential for any student living here," Jin then showed Makoto how to use the handbook, "You can check the map of the school with this and you can also go over the rules and regulations of the Academy by pressing this."

"Oh, that's neat," Makoto made a mental note of actually revising the rules when he returns back to his room. Jin continued, "Here, you can also find a notifications section where students will be given announcements or invitations of any sort of events. You can even find pictures of such events being sent to the e-Handbook. Pretty nifty stuff, huh?"

"Y-Yeah. I mean, this is all too gadgety for me, you know… is there a library that I can use where I can find books and stuff?"

Jin blinked in confusion, "Well, we do have one in the second floor. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that, when you think about it, you'd think that there wouldn't be a need for a library if you can access everything from this tablet," he scratched his cheek with his free hand shyly. Jin agreed with what Makoto reasoned, but he shook his head anyways.

"We want students to be able to interact with the school and its students and staff. We definitely don't want them being cooped up in their room until class time, so we made sure that no such feature will be available for the e-Handbook. Though, if you ask me, it is kinda convenient to do that."

"Haha, I'm pretty sure it'll all work out in the end. Right, Mr Kirigiri?" Makoto then thought of a question, "Oh yeah. When do you think class starts for my group?"

"That is true…I forgot about that," he did something to the e-Handbook which resulted in it showing his class number; 78, and a list of names right beside it, "Here, you can find the dates of your classes, the names of students that you will be joining with and…..Oh? Well, that's odd," he rechecked the list of students again, holding is chin lightly, "I was sure I put her name on it."

"Put whose name on it?"

"Well, it's my daughter's. She enters the school as an Ultimate Detective soon. I wanted to put her in this class, but I guess there was a misinformation. I'll look it up later on."

"W-Well, do you mind if I ask her name? I mean, it'll be easier to get to know her and stuff, in my case," asked Makoto bravely. Not only was it his supposedly first time he's dealing with a girl, he isn't yet used to meeting with people for the first time. However, since he _is_ in a unique school, he might as well try to get along with at least one person. Other than that, it's better to ask now since she is a relative of the headmaster, who happened to be his father's friend.

Jin had a knowing smile. He wondered what would happen if Makoto knew that her daughter actually met him nine years ago. He chose to test that theory, "Her name is…"

"MR KIRIGIRIIIIIIII!" a man stormed into the office, surprising Makoto while receiving only a turn of the head by Jin. It was Hirato, though his skin looked more green than usual. Other than that, his face contorted into fear crossed with worry with beads of sweats forming profusely from top to bottom. He panted quickly and consistently, most likely from all that running. He called to Jin, "Headmaster! Ms Tsumiki is injecting everyone with some sort of green fluid, myself included! Everyone's showing signs of rashes and is affecting everyone's performance levels! *cough*cough*"

Jin sighed, naturally, as this, in his record being here, had been the third time happening since his reign as Headmaster. Honestly, he had no idea how the former Headmaster was able to take this all in. he rubbed his forehead with his right hand.

Makoto looked confused, but not more so than afraid. To think that there is a psychotic woman throwing out free injections of unknown doses will haunt him in the academy. Suddenly, his stomach rumbled for a few seconds. Makoto forgot to eat lunch because of the rush. He blushed slightly.

"I understand," assured Jin, "You can go now. But I expect you to come meet with the rest of the students who are moving in tomorrow, okay?"

Of course, Makoto had intended to do so. He was a day earlier than the move-in, anyhow. He should help them and coincidentally make friends out of them. Makoto nodded in understanding, "Sure. You can count on me, Headmaster!" He rushed out of the room and headed straight for his room. If anywhere is safe from the injection culprit, it is behind the locked doors of his sanctuary.

Once he had exited, he consoled the green Hirato, "It can't be that bad this time, right?"

"Well, not as bad as before, but it is still harmful if it reached the ears of the school board."

"Then call Nagito to solve this problem. Surprisingly, he's the only one who doesn't mind getting an injection from her. Of course, there's a reason why. Just get him already and he'll take care of it."

"Roger that, sir," Hirato quickly exited his office to meet with the problem solver. Meanwhile, Jin sat on one of the sofas and massaged his temples. He had not thought that these kinds of activities were a norm for the school.

" _I supported this project to build hope….not to build experiments,_ " he couldn't help but think that way. So far, he had been hearing reports of weird technical difficulties, broken equipment, overgrown plants and, most recently, rare symptoms and psychological illnesses. He had a pretty unique time so far. " _And this is only Year Two since I took this position._ "

But he had to. He must. After all, he promised this to be the last project he had ever done to his family. Only a few years ago did he apply for a job at the same academy he is in now. Now, to his shock, he became Headmaster of the entire school. Though, it came with the benefit that he can supervise the progress of the school performance and, without a doubt-

" _Kyoko,_ " she followed his grandfather's footsteps for as long as he could remember. As a father, he could never be prouder than ever to think that his daughter was chosen as the 'Ultimate Detective'. However, not all was good for Kyoko. In fact, she had forgone all of her emotions for this specific line of work. She had abandoned what you call bonds of friendship to ensure no personal attachment will intervene through her cases, and that made Jin sad.

"If only…. If only I was not so foolish as to deny her rights," he muttered loudly, hoping someone would interrupt his line of thought. No one did. He placed his elbows on his shoulders and clasped his hands together. He concentrated on the memory of when Kyoko definitely happier than ever. He could not forget her pristine smile, almost too heavenly for her own good.

Skip one month later and he cursed himself for destroying that smile.

 _Flashback_

" _Wh-Why…" Kyoko widened her eyes in shock at her father's answer. Tears brimmed through her eyes, "What do you mean Makoto's going to Nagoya!? Are you saying I can't go either?"_

" _Sweetie, you and I both know that's not true. But, you see," he crouched down to his daughter's heights, his concern masked on his expression, "I got a lot of work here in Tokyo. I need to sort that out first and foremost._ "

" _But why should I follow where you're going? Makoto's my first friend! Why should I bother waiting for this stupid project to finish!?" she yelled at her father, causing him to stand up angrily._

" _Kyoko, you're walking on dangerous territory there," his father unexpectedly glared at her, surprising her, "You shouldn't say that when your father's doing so much work for it. Believe me, everything will be alright. Once I'm done with 'Hope's Peak', we'll go to Nagoya together, okay?"_

" _It's always Hope's Peak," Kyoko lowered her head, shadowing her eyes as a result, "Hope's Peak this, Hope's Peak that. It's like you never did care about me at all," she then raised her head with an angry face, "It's because of Hope's Peak that Mom died!"_

" _Young lady, that's enough! Go to your room!" he pointed to the direction her room resided. Seeing as she had no say, she could not hold back the tears. It threatened her to cry at that point, but not without a frown to match it._

" _YOU'RE SO MEAN, DADDY! I HATE YOU!" she ran away to her room, her tears flowing quickly from her eyes. As she closed her door, Jin could hear the sobbing of his endearing daughter shrieking through the door. He remained stuck in his position until he moved to the nearest chair in the living room._

 _He hoped he could explain the matter further. It turned out that Kazuya's job forced him to move to the Nagoya branch of the hotel he worked in. It also meant that he would bring his entire family there, seeing it would be difficult for his kids to be supported financially based on his status. However, it came at a cost._

 _Kyoko was not one to make friends with whoever she sees and meets. She was to be taught the skills of a detective by her grandfather, who graciously accepted her. Of course, Jin opposed it at first. However, his father was adamant in doing so._

 _It didn't also help that Kyoko's mother passed away recently and he just did not have time to meet both ends. Bottom line, Kyoko found comfort when she passes the time with Makoto: her first companion in a long while. And Kazuya was more than generous enough to help keep an eye on her._

 _And now shit had hit the storm. Kyoko and even his father were devastated by how terrible the day had become. He had to finish the project. Beforehand, it was just a huge project being developed for one of his old friends. Now, it had become something more to him. Still, it was no fatherly of him to abandon his daughter in need of a family._

 _He felt like he was in a dilemma. In the end, he decided to leave her to his father and let him teach the ways of the family. Kyoko will resent him for sure, but he must make ends meet… with 'Hope's Peak'._

* * *

"H-Huh?" a girl awakened from her slumber, thinking that it must be evening already. She awoke to her room as she felt the soft fabric of her bed underneath her belly. " _I must've fallen asleep by accident,_ " he then felt a tear running down her face. She caught and swiped it off. She cursed, "Dammit, why now?"

She wears a white blouse along with a short skirt. Her hair is a mess without the braids and has no footwear and gloves on. Her hands are visibly and terribly burnt from a past case.

She jumped off her bed and made her bed. Making sure the blanket was tucked in, she noticed something black upon the corner of her sight. She looked at it to see the black plush toy sitting quietly on the dressing table. It was a reminder, albeit a painful one. One that helped her through her days training to be a detective. She picked the toy up, stared at it intently. Although his family name was not known to her anymore, his first name was all that she needed to remember the kind soul that gave her light, though no more in the end.

She hugged the dragon tightly to her chest. The purple-haired girl walked backwards to her bed and sat on the edge of it. She laid on her backside, thinking about him. Even though she pulled every last shred of detail of her friend's memory away from her mind, she would never forget his name.

"Makoto."

* * *

Author's notes:

A/N a little revamp on a few sentences. Always vital to check the things you've written.

I'm not kidding, but this story is quite a refreshing change from my two other stories.

Oh, this is Emblem of Light, here.

The batch from Danganronpa 2 will be Makoto's seniors.

When I'm doing something like the life at school or something, the genre has to be general: lots of crazy things happen in school, after all.

Follow, Favourite, Both. Take your pick.

School ain't school if there aren't any school tournaments. Just sayin'

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	3. The Ultimate Move-in

Apologies for delaying the new chapter. I'v been recently sick.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Ultimate Move-in

The new dawn. Don't you just love the new dawn? It's a moment of freshness that never seems to limit its potential as the new day. It keeps rising and rising, leaving no room for error behind it, and eventually will be at the top of the sky, embracing us with the basking glory of the sun. Oh, what a joyful morning if we all thought of it that way.

And as such, the new day welcomes Hope's Peak, its residents and its future endeavors. The crisp morning air could not be felt, however, since the windows of our fellow lucky student were closed during that moment. Even so, the sun rose still, its rays of sunshine enveloping the passage through the glass, giving off a shine inside his room.

Makoto, his sleep interrupted by the orb of light's glare to his face, opened his eyes groggily, regretting for not closing the window curtains. Awoken with his back on the mattress, he pulled himself up to a sitting position, his hair being a mess. He rubbed his eyes softly and yawned. He then scratched his ears, feeling something itchy on that spot, and stretched his arms afterwards.

Makoto's wearing a black top with green three-quarters. Although he looks thin with his usual outfit, his build is, in this story, not thin. In fact, he is a bit on the lean muscle side, though not bulky enough that it will show. Didn't I tell you that he's 5'6 inches tall? Well, there you go. He's been working out.

He picks up his alarm clock beside the dragon and took a good look at the time.

" _Eight 'o clock….._ *groan*," he went back to bed, thinking that it's too early. He then remembered what Mr Kirigiri had said to him.

" _I expect you to meet with the rest of the students who are coming tomorrow morning, okay_?" the reminder rained on his plan to slumber land. With another sleepy groan, he rose back up and put his feet on the ground beside his bed. After a while, he lifted his butt of the soft comfort of his bed and walked to his closet.

Thinking he was about to meet up with his classmates for the first time, Makoto decided to wear something that his friends will remember him by. So, his attire consisted of a black jacket with gold buttons worn over his zipped-up dull green hoodie with a red stripe along the zipper, black jeans and red sneakers with white toes. His hoodie has a gas mask logo printed on the back of the hood. He also wears a pin shaped like a four-pointed star overlaid on a crescent moon; this is pinned to the lapel of his jacket.

There he goes, handsome as ever. Bring it on, girls, because Makoto's on a roll! ( **Just….forget about this sentence.** )

Now that he's prepped up to meet his new friends, Makoto exited the room and turned to his door to lock it. Secured and unbreakable, Makoto decided to leave it and walk to the entrance hall.

* * *

At the entrance hall, he headed towards the recipient's desk to see Hirato arranging some papers. In front of the desk, however, was someone he had acquainted with just yesterday. The spiky-haired boy walked faster to meet the both of them. Hirato appeared be sighing at something as he put the arranged papers to one side of the desk.

"How in the world did Komaeda-san stop Tsumiki-san from doing….that, yesterday?" inquired Hirato at the boy. The latter's ahoge twitched twice and he answered,

"Who knows?" he scratched his head in a tired manner, "It's not as if I knew the guy personally. I mean, all he talks about is the hope that we all bring and how fun it is without despair to take over us. He's weird on every level!"

Hirato hummed in thought and put his elbow on the table, propping the palm of his right hand under his chin, "Well, he's in _your_ class, Hajime-san. I think you of all people would know how he's like."

"Tch," he turned his head to the side, expressing annoyance to Hirato's reasoning. The recipient smiled at the boy's reaction. Not long after that did they both notice another figure approaching them: Makoto Naegi.

Hirato waved a hello, "Ah, good morning, Naegi-san! I hope the room's to your liking."

Makoto flashed a smile in return, "The room is more than to my liking, thanks for asking. And good morning to you too, Hirato-san!" he turned to the boy, Hajime, who grunt in approval. His ahoge twitched twice again.

"Hey."

"Hey, you," Makoto replied. He extended his hand for a handshake, his face getting nervous in front of Hajime, "I'm-"

"Makoto Naegi, yes? I've heard," he shook his hand firmly. Almost too firmly. Almost about to break his bones. Makoto winced in pain as the squeeze tightened. Hajime then let go of his hand, a smirk visible on his mouth, "Sorry about that. Just gauging your strength. You're not that strong, are ya?"

"Well, what do you think?" he muttered as he rubbed his hand sympathetically, earning a laugh from Hajime and a sigh from the recipient.

Hajime put his hands on his hip after he stopped laughing. "Hey, I'm sorry, really. I may look like a jerk, but I'm just trying to look out for ya. Hope's Peak Academy's got some serious players in the brawn section. I'm just hoping you won't be a part of it, because I am," he winked mischievously at Makoto who sweat dropped.

" _This guy's scary. Why in the world did I have my room opposite to his?!_ " he lamented the thought of it. He hung his head in despair.

"H-Hey, are you all right? I didn't mean to scare you or anything," Hajime asked with worry, afraid that he might have disheartened the poor new student. He put his right hand on Makoto's left shoulder and shook it a bit to see if he's okay. Hirato chuckled again.

"You know, Hajime-san? You should really choose your words carefully."

"I-I guess. Sorry Makoto…," Hajime scratched his cheek in an apologetic manner.

"N-No, it's fine. I always knew I was weak before, so it doesn't really hurt much like last time," he timidly replied, which only concerned the ahoge boy even more.

Suddenly, they heard the screeching of a car's brake.

"Welp, that's our new student there," stated Hirato. Both ahoges looked to the entrance to see far ahead a boy in pristine white uniform. Hirato ushered Makoto, "Well, go on then! I suppose you should help him with the stuff he brought."

"H-hold on, Naegi-kun! I'm coming too!" Chihiro, who just arrived from the dorm as well, made it in time for the moving students to arrive. Makoto turned and smiled at her. He figured that she had also been told about the details of the move-in by Headmaster Kirigiri. There's no way she would pass up this moment. He himself knew that's what he wanted, anyways.

He waved at her, beckoning her to come quick. Hajime, on the other hand, decided to leave the scene. He talked to Hirato first, "Looks like I'll be going first. It's been nice talking to you, Hirato-san. I'll make sure Tsumiki-san doesn't do it again."

"You better. That'll be the last time I'll ever go to her services again," Hajime chuckled at the recipient's angry retort. He turned to Makoto next.

"I think you got this in the bag. I'll be heading towards the cafeteria if you need me. See ya soon, Naegi-san."

Makoto blinked in realization that he was leaving. He nodded at his farewell, "Alright. You too, Hajime-senpai!"

Hajime, surprised by the use of the word 'senpai', widened his eyes in shock. Afterwards, he glanced to the right, scratching his cheek nervously. He wasn't used to the word 'senpai' after his name. His ahoge acted up in a way that it was bouncing consistently, "Y-Yeah, and it's Hinata-senpai to you. We're not on a first name basis yet, you know."

"That's fine with me. Hinata-senpai, it is!"

"Y-yeah, well, see ya." With that, he moved his feet to the right and took off to the cafeteria as he walked in a faster pace.

After his leave, Makoto nodded to Chihiro who nodded back. They jogged to the entrance to meet up with their soon-to-be new friend. They kept this pace until they reached the entrance gates and slowed down. When they had a really good look at the man, assuming his short hair, they realized he had fantastically large bushy eyebrows.

Not only that, his eyes are red, sharp and can give a piercing look if he demands to do so. He has spiky black hair and, as informed, large eyebrows. He wears a white uniform with five gold buttons on each sleeve and six on his chest, along with a gold and red medal on it. He also wears knee-high black lace-up boots. He looked like he was part of the army, if it wasn't for the fact that the kanji on his left arm band means 'Public Moral'.

"Do not worry, sir! I will take care of the luggage from now on!" he declared cheerfully to which the driver nodded. The latter returned to his cab and drove off. With his belongings already out, he carried the brown suitcase with his right hand and walked to the school, only to be viewed two figures in front of him.

Seeing as they look young and has the nature of a student, with a happy smile, he said, "Ah, hello, fellow students! I see you have come earli….er…than…..me…" His eyes became wide open and his face was of a fearful nature. Soon enough, he cried in frustration as he put his hands on his temples and went to a breakdown. He went on his knees and lamented, "How I could have arrived later than these two?! This is too shameful of me to act upon!"

Makoto and Chihiro became frantic. He went to the boy's side and comforted him. Well, Chihiro was the one who did, considering how anxious Makoto was to even say anything.

"H-Hey, that's okay! I mean, it's just the day of the move-in, that's all! Right, Makoto?"

"Yeah, that's right! I mean, wh-what does it matter, anyway?"

"IT MATTERS SO MUCH FOR ME!" he stood up quickly and faced Makoto with tears in his eyes, the latter already regretting the words he used. He wailed, "I am the Ultimate Moral Compass! If I don't set an example for students here, then I am only ridiculing the title that has passed on to me! It's like….*sniff*…..I HAVE DESECRATED THE NAME OF HOPE'S PEAK UPON MY OWN ACTIONS! WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" His cry echoed throughout the the school grounds. Makoto and Chihiro clamped their ears up to avoid bleeding them from the deafening sound.

"You're not later than them," came from an unexpected savior. Bushy Brows quieted down and looked at the man. Makoto and Chihiro did the same. It was Hirato coming out of the hall with his earplugs on. His face was plainly normal and had no reaction to his scream. He motioned for the boy to come forward, "Come with me, Ishimaru-san. I'll tell you why they were earlier than you."

Ishimaru let out a loud sniff and nodded. He walked to Hirato and together they entered the entrance hall. With the screech taken care of, at last, the programmer and luckster unclamped their ears and breathed a relieving sigh.

"Man, what a powerful scream," said Chihiro. She put both hands on her chest for a dramatic effect.

"I agree. If that's how students are in Hope's Peak Academy, you can bet we'll have a very _hopeful_ time here," replied Makoto sarcastically. The programmer merely giggled at his bad pun. They both agreed that it will certainly be a unique school life for them to live under together. Makoto rubbed the back of his neck, anxiously considering the danger they have put themselves in.

"Still," Chihiro thought out loud, "It's amazing that Hirato-san handled it like it was nothing."

"That's true. I guess it takes all kinds of people to be able to handle someone like…. Ishimaru-san, was it?" They both considered just what could have happened in the past that made Hirato so resilient to something as strange as Ishimaru's attitude to being late. Then again, they learnt, they wouldn't know even if they wanted to.

"Well, let's just get them all in and we won't need to handle that again," assured Chihiro to which Makoto complied and nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes, two cars, or rather transportations, arrived: a cab….. and a motorcycle, albeit a huge one.

The one coming out of the cab had one of the strangest hairdos that Makoto had ever seen. It is dark brown, large and so amazingly spiky Makoto did not think it was possible for him to even take care of his hair like that. Then his attire was strange to him: a three-layered outfit consisting an old green uniform on the outside, a white rough shirt in the middle and a small yellow short-sleeved shirt under the bundle. He also wears an old green baggy three-quarters with a yellow rope tied on the waist of it. On his right palm laid a white crystal ball that shone brightly underneath the sun's rays.

The owner of the ball smiled at them, "Hey! What's up? Name's Yasuhiro Hagakure. Ultimate Clairvoyant!" He gave a bow while still holding the ball in hand, almost as if like a magician would do after he's done with all of his tricks.

But the word 'Clairvoyant' stuck in Makoto's mind.

"Ultimate Clairvoyant?" he re-stated the name of Hagakure who nodded.

"Yup. Technically, my predictions are 30% right, so that makes me the top fortune-teller!" he finished it off with a peace pose-

But was met with silence by the duo.

..

..

..

"…What?" Makoto said.

"Now, come on! That wasn't the reaction I expected from ya! Give a guys some slack for predicting 30% at a time…" Yasuhiro sighed in defeat after realizing how stupid it really meant, but it did help him get through with life. After all, it was his job to do it.

Makoto and Chihiro gave no comment and just nodded. They turned to the other person who was just about to get off his bike. He's tall, no doubt.

He gave a hard look at the both of them, "The fuck are you lookin' at?"

"Eeep! W-Well, you were a riding a bike so w-we were just….," Chihiro began to form tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry! Really, I do!" she bowed repeatedly to express her forgiveness. Makoto sweat dropped at her reply.

"What? ….No, I didn't mean ta hurt ya, I….ah, fuck," he scratched the back of his head, frustrated at what he couldn't do to ease her up.

Makoto intervened and patted Chihiro's back softly with a nervous smile on his face, "It's alright, Chihiro. He hasn't done anything yet, so you don't need to cry now…"

"Hey! The fuck do you mean 'I haven't done anything yet'!" Makoto turned and gave an awkward chuckle. As he calmed himself down, he got a good look at his appearance.

He also asked, "May I ask your name?"

"Ah, fuck… anyways, Owada Mondo's the name. Got that fucking printed in yer brain yet?" Mondo is a student with slightly tanned skin, defined facial features and purple irises. He appears to have long eyelashes on the outer halves of his eyelids, which gives hima fierce expression. His hair colour, by the way, is light reddish-brown and has some sort of a 'punch perm' hairstyle that bikers would normally have.

He wears a black overcoat adorned with the symbol that means 'Crazy Diamonds' along with Japanese text and dragon motifs in orange, worn open over a white A-shirt. He also outfits himself with baggy black pants held up by a belt and white loafers. The shape of the belt's buckle is likened to the face of the lion-dog, Komainu.

Makoto nervously replied, "Well, you don't need to say it that way. I-"

"Hey, you! The one with the funny hairstyle?!" shouted an unknown person. Yasuhiro pointed to himself, thinking he was called out.

"Who? Me?"

"No, not you!" Yasuhiro slumped his shoulders, "The one with the _other_ funny hairstyle! Don't you know that you need to mind your language in school? Didn't your parents teach you that before you even go to one?"

A vein popped on his forehead. Mondo retaliated by yelling, "Hey, who asked ya for your fuckin' advice, eh?! Why don't you back the fuck off?!"

" _Ishimaru-san? I thought he went with Hirato-san a while ago?_ " wondered Makoto. Ishimaru looked like he had already recovered from his breakdown just now. What could Hirato had possibly done to calm him down so easily?

"Um… g-guys, come on! You just moved in!" Chihiro attempted to be the peacemaker. Sure, she had nothing to do with their future squabblings. However, she would want nothing more than to see the best out of everyone in Hope's Peak Academy. She'll do her very best to settle that once and for all. Once again, she yelled this time, "GUYS! Stop!"

But the both of them aren't listening. Instead, they continued their bickering on and on. Makoto, seeing that the programmer could only stand and watch, thought of a way; but he needed to wait for the perfect moment to do so.

"You must follow the etiquette of a true student, and that means forsaking your cursing and insulting words!" Ishimaru fought for his stand in the argument with vigour, his pose copying that of a soldier. Mondo was getting irritated to the point of being violently irritated.

"You piece of shit! How about you fucking try this for an etiquette!" he pulled his right fist and launched towards Ishimaru's chest, only to be blocked by Makoto's sudden face.

WHAM!

Makoto felt the full force of the attack and flew quite a distance from them. Both Ishimaru and Mondo held shocking faces, but the latter quickly went to his side and picked him up, "Oh, shit! Hey, man! You alright? C'mon, talk to me!"

But Makoto was unconscious. His eyes were slightly opened, but his vision was blurry. He couldn't feel his limbs anymore and his thoughts are a mess. Most people would not have survived that strike and can get up so easily. Therefore, it was unlikely for Makoto to even wake up for a while.

But this is the Ultimate Luckster we're talking about, right?

" _Meh, it's not as strong as the one I got two years ago. Or is it because I'm already used to it that it doesn't hurt anymore?_ " his fingers twitched, his breathing became erratic and his eyes opened as fast as he lifted himself from the ground to a sitting position. Makoto had experienced being punched. Being a dead last years ago was the reason why.

"Heh," he chuckled, "I got lucky, after all."

"You…got lucky?! You're shitting me! That was my best punch!" Mondo, stupefied by Makoto's claim, used his right hand as support for Makoto's back in case he falls down instantly. Thankfully, he didn't.

"Are you saying you actually wanted to hurt me?!" Ishimaru asked the gangster-like Mondo. However, their bickering was prevented by a certain someone.

"Stop it, you guys! Here you are, trying to get into this school, and all of a sudden you have to fight! Can't we all just get along now!?" Chihiro pleaded them to stop as her voice was getting hoarse from all the yelling. This is the best that she could do to stop it. All she can do now is pray that they focus on helping the luckster.

Both Mondo and Ishimaru had shameful looks as they glanced at each other. Their faces became concerned because they had given a really bad impression, Ishimaru especially. The Public Morals Committee Member was supposed to show a good example to the students in Hope's Peak. Instead, he made a fuss over what is simply minor compared to his duty. He hung his head in shame.

Yasuhiro butted in to save the day, "Looks like everyone learnt their lesson. Okay then!" He gave a loud clap to gather their attention and smiled, "Why don't we settle this once we've….. I dunno, 'settled'?"

Mondo, who was holding the barely conscious luckster, nodded, "Yeah, you're right. We need to bring this kid to the lobby and get him some water."

"Agreed," said unanimously by everyone.

* * *

After a bit of rest – and a much needed ice pack – Makoto ran back to the entrance, the blow to his cheek completely non-existent. Unfortunately, he had to resort to Hirato's care and made sure Makoto was in his room until his body was more stabilized. Once he was there, he saw not only Chihiro, but Yasuhiro and Mondo as well. He was quite surprised to see them because, supposedly, it was he who was assigned to help students move their things. Not the other way round.

Makoto slowed his run and was a bit off by their presence at the gates, "Mondo-san, Hagakure-san, what are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be moving your stuff right now?"

"Nah, I think I owe ya for stopping me earlier. So, I decided a little guard duty for the little fella here," Mondo ruffled the programmer's hair, indicating her, "would do me some discipline. Heck, Bushy Brows was fine with it."

"Really?" Makoto arched an eyebrow. He had suspected that Mondo may have fought about this matter with Ishimaru. Judging by his face, Makoto could tell the perm-haired students grumbled just a while ago.

Chihiro stepped in to avoid another argument, "At least everything's okay now, right? By the way, how's your face, Naegi-san? Has it recovered yet?"

"It doesn't feel painful anymore, so maybe," Makoto rubbed his cheek to soothe it, "By the way, what did I miss while you guys were here?"

"Oh, that. You see…..," Chihiro talked on and on about the newcomers moving in today. They greeted a limousine transporting quite an arrogant person. The said person wanted no one but his servants to send his things to his rooms. Chihiro was a bit intimidated, but Mondo was fumed at the time.

"That motherfuckin' bastard! Who does he think he is, acting like a show-off?" he raised his clenching fist and imagined the arrogant student in his palm, crushed under his grip. Chihiro calmed Mondo down by giving a pat on his back, though nervously done.

They then talked about the last two before Makoto arrived who were willing to have an interaction with them: Aoi Asahina and Hifumi Yamada.

"But, get this," Yasuhiro spoke, "It turns out that Yamada-san had porn fanfics in his luggage when it accidentally opened. Haha! You should have seen his face, acting as if he's proud of his work!" he laughed at the thought. Indeed, he sounded like a very strange person.

"But Asahina-san was something else!" chirped Chihiro, gaining Makoto's attention as a result, "She said that she is the Ultimate Swimmer, and she can do more than just swimming! She's like a super athlete!"

The way her eyes sparkled with the cheerful tone used in her explanation, Makoto stated with a grin on his face, "You sounded like you admire Asahina-san almost immediately!"

The programmer blushed and twiddled with her fingers. "W-Well, yeah. I mean, who wouldn't? Unlike me, she can pretty much do anything-,"

"Stop, Fujisaki-san," Makoto ordered. He put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and said calmly, "We all came here because of what we do best – well, except me. In any case, everyone has their own weaknesses and strengths that they can recognize. However, that doesn't mean we should compare ourselves with each other. That'll stop you from learning. Believe me. I've been there."

"Naegi-san," Chihiro stared at the ahoge boy with wonder. Mondo and Yasuhiro were quite taken aback, but nodded together in agreement.

"Yeah, you got that right," Yasuhiro gave a thumbs-up to the group, "we should all learn from Makoto's example! Let's learn… together!"

"Right!" they said in unison sans Makoto, who was a bit flustered by the compliment.

"Ah, uh, yeah…. Right." But can he do the same thing like he did a few years back? He thought to himself at that moment whether it can really come true or not. " _As far as I remember, there are always those who stop you from moving forward. The only way I know… is to expel them from my sight_." It always had been for the poor boy. Always has been since he got lucky.

"Hey, hey, you're forgetting Leon too, you know!" mentioned Yasuhiro. Makoto tilted his head sideward.

"Who's Leon?"

"Oh, he's named Leon Kuwata," explained Chihiro, "He's the Ultimate Baseball Star. We talked to him for a while before he left for his room."

"I…. see. I missed a lot of people, huh?" Makoto pondered on the students he did not meet yet. Could they be as estranged as Yasuhiro or Ishimaru? Or could they be violent and brutal like Mondo? " _So many people with very different personalities…._ "

"Oh, look! A car's driving heading towards here!" Chihiro pointed at an incoming car heading directly to the gates. It slowed down and parked right beside the pavement road. Then, the back door opened and Makoto could have sworn he recognized the braid.

The person coming out of the car was a girl. She wears a dark purple collared jacket over her white blouse and a brown tie, along with a short skirt and heeled knee-high boot. Her lavender hair goes down to her waist and is adorned with a braid on part of her hair. Her hands are worn over by custom-made black gloves. To anyone, she looked beautiful. To Makoto….

"She…..," he whispered. Makoto couldn't say anything else as his eyes became wide open at her. He felt that he should know something by know, yet he just could not figure out what it is. He saw her brush her hair aside from her face and stared at the group – him especially. They locked gazes in minutes and no sudden moves were made until after a while. Then, she shut her eyes, opened them again later, and moved past them.

His eyes remain locked in front, yet his senses are at an all-time high. His brain processed everything that happened and yet no clue was presented to Makoto Naegi.

"Wow, she looks very dignified, isn't she?" he vaguely heard Chihiro complimenting the lavender head. The latter turned to Makoto, smiling, "What do you think, Naegi-san?" But her question remained unanswered, since the boy did not even turn around to see the girl that walked past them just like they did. She got worried, "N-Naegi san! Are you alright?!"

"Wha-? H-Hey, Naegi-chi! What's up?"

"Yo, Naegi, snap out of it! I didn't hit ya too hard, did I?" Makoto blinked, finally able to regain his self-control.

" _What the hell was that!?"_ he felt his knees wobble, mostly tired from that hardcore brain exercise. He didn't understand why it happened, but it did anyways. Almost as if it's trying to make Makoto do something.

Soon, he felt a hand gripping lightly on his right shoulder.

"Hey, Naegi-chi, you alright there?" Makoto turned to Yasuhiro, who was concerned for his condition. Makoto nodded which Yasuhiro then asked, "Then what was that all about? I mean, that was some weird stuff happening to you. Hold on! I think I know one way to solve that!" He ransacked through his outer layered jacket to find his crystal orb, much to Makoto's curiosity. He then chanted a few words, "*chant*chant*chant* annnnnnddddd BAM! Aha! EH?!"

Mondo, Chihiro and Makoto yelped in sudden shock by the fortune teller's outburst. Makoto spoke for the three, a frown printed on his expression, "What's wrong? Is there something going on with the crystal ball?"

"No, it's not that," his worried face was visible as he squinted his eyebrows and rubbed his forehead slowly, "It's telling me that you, Makoto Naegi, will unveil an impressive lie while also revealing a terrible truth. What they really are…..well, that I can't say."

"Impressive lie? Terrible truth? Sounds like something out of a fantasy-mystery novel if you ask me," commented Chihiro which Yasuhiro hummed to. She then asked, "What are your thoughts on it, Hagakure-san?"

"Hmmmm…," he hummed in deep thought, leaving the rest of us in the dark, "Well, if you ask me, I could say it's just a prediction and nothing more. It's not like we're going to find out something horrible soon, right? Maybe it has something to do with the end of life or something. Oh, and by the way, call me Hiro. It's easier to say!" He ended with a smile.

"Then again, it's just a 30% chance of happening. You don't have to take it as important when you think that way," Mondo intervened. Everyone, including Hiro, agreed to his claim.

Makoto yawned, tired from the brief but exhausting session, and said, "Anyways, I think I wanna rest for a while. This thing's taking a beating out of me."

Chihiro chuckled while Mondo and Hiro smiled warmly, knowing fully well that Makoto did a LOT today.

"See ya guys tomorrow! And Hiro-san! Mondo-san! Check out your rooms okay?"

"Alright, alright, now get your fucking rest aready! Sheesh, he's like a mother…" Mondo waved his hands at the now running Makoto who headed inside the academy.

"I think he's just worried that you yourself might be a bit tired, Mondo-san," explained Chihiro who received a nod from him.

* * *

"Whew, glad that's over," Makoto casually walked to the cafeteria to grab something for a late breakfast, "Oh, wait. Did Fujisaki-san eat before she came? I guess that explains why she's full of energy now that I think about it." He heard a grumbling sound from his stomach and sighed.

"Man, if only I'm lucky enough to remember _everything_ that satisfies my needs."

He walked with a faster pace to the counter barring the kitchen behind it. He ordered his food and brought his tray to one of the round tables. As he ate, deliciously and slowly, he overheard a conversation that was near him. He stopped eating and moved his head to look to his right where he saw two figure: Hajime Hinata and a girl sitting rather closely at another table with their backs facing Makoto.

"Looks like this year's going to be an interesting one. Have you made sure Tsumiki-san won't start giving medications when she meets our new friends? That's gonna give a very bad impression of our class. And you know how I hate it when it comes to bad first impressions."

"Oh, don't exaggerate, Hajime-san. I'm sure she'll be fine. Tsumiki-san is not as crazy as you might think…. I think," the girl, who had already ate and had her eyes and hands on a handheld console, assured Hajime of Tsumiki's antics. The girl wears an unzipped dark green hoodie which has pointed ears on the top of her hood and two pink markings on the front. The hood is brought down to show her light pink hair which is slightly curled and there is a small hairpin attached to the side of her face. She wears a pale brown skirt with black thighs and white shoes to complete the attire. She wears a pink cat-like backpack, too.

Makoto thought she looked like a sweet girl. He continued eavesdropping their conversation.

Hajime sighed and continued, "I know, it's just…well, I don't like having to explain why she did _that_ to them. Not only that, Nagito always seems to have some sort of an idea to test this hope thing he's been talking about. And Teruteru-"

"You should stop worrying so much," a loud beep came out of her PSP as she paused and looked directly at Hajime with a blank face, "it's not like you to be so aware of those kinds of stuff… I think."

Hajime sweat dropped as he ate his bowl of noodles. He slurped it out and chewed on the texture of his meal. After he swallowed it, he replied, "And you know what I'm thinking right now? I think you should start ending your sentences with a positive word instead of 'I think', Chiaki-san."

Chiaki put a finger on her chin and wondered out loud, "You think so? I think it's better that way, too…. I think."

"Tch… what am I going to do with you," he muttered. Makoto could not help but chuckle. The sound of it attracted the ears of the eavesdropped students who shuffled under their seats and to look behind.

Hajime widened his eyes, "Naegi-san! What are you doing here? I thought you were busy helping your friends."

Makoto picked his half-eaten tray and moved to their table. He sat opposite to the duo and answered, "They didn't need the help. Besides, I'm more interested in you guys."

"Um…. Us?" Chiaki pointed to herself as the luckster nodded.

"That's right, Chia-"

"Nanami-senpai," Hajime stated, "It's Nanami-senpai to you."

"O-kay….," Makoto cleared his throat to say it again, "That's right, Nanami-senpai. Are you two an item?"

Hajime, who was drinking his cup, spat it out in a vigorous manner. The water hit Makoto's face, drenching him in its liquid. Hajime blushed and felt flustered at the thought of them being such. His ahoge shook and extended itself in reaction to his emotions, "What the hell, Naegi!? Why do you ask a question like that?"

As he wiped the wetness off his face, he frowned, "Why not? I mean, you two look so close from behind and I just had to ask, is all."

"Well, no, we're not! Honestly, we were discussing something of importance that we don't want to involve other people in it," Hajime sighed at the end. Makoto sweat dropped and hastily replied.

"O-Okay, no need to get so worked up. I'm just asking…"

Hajime sighed again, afraid that he may had intimidated the boy once more. Chiaki then said, "I'm sorry if Hajime-san scared you. I'm Chiaki Nanami, Ultimate Gamer. I play all kinds of games and genres."

Makoto's ears perked up hearing the word 'gamer', "Ultimate Gamer? So you play games for a living?"

"Well, not really," Chiaki held her chin thoughtfully, "I just happened to get scouted by the academy when they caught me beating the record for an an arcade game. Then, well, I'm here… I think."

"Well, it must be fun, having to be able to play almost any game you want," said the boy cheerfully. He heard a 'tch' sound from Hajime again. He then realized that he hadn't asked his senior what his Ultimate really is, "Say, Hinata-senpai? What's your Ultimate?"

"Huh? Oh, it's Ultimate Reserve Student," he replied with a blank look. Makoto became curious. That was the most plain title anyone could have received, really.

"Ultimate Reserve Student? Are you saying you came from the reserve course of Hope's Peak Academy?"

"That's right. You did your homework on that one, huh?" he slurped his noodles again.

"Actually, I was forced to know. My dad did the research for me."

"Oh, but did you know," Makoto turned to Chiaki, who started playing something on her PSP, "that Hajime-san could have gotten into the academy without going into the reserve course."

"Ch-Chiaki! You don't need to tell him that!"

"So that means you have another Utimate?!" asked Makoto as he stood up by reaction, eager to hear about his second Ultimate. Hajime was feeling visibly uneasy. Beads of sweat are coming out of the skin on his face and his ahoge frantically shook repeatedly.

"Um….well…."

"I think it's obvious when you think about. Try take a good look at his appearance," explained Chiaki as she yawned, "just…*yawn*….take a guess from there…zzzzz.." She put her head on the table and went into slumber land

"Take a guess from his appearance?" Makoto gave a good look at Hajime, who started feeling fidgety. " _He wears a white shirt and blue jeans. Okay, that's normal. His sneakers are no different, too._ "

Hajime's hair, more importantly his hair that stood out, started shaking even more.

The luckster realized something, " _His hair reacts to what he feels….Huh, mine can't do that._ " After much thought, which is a few seconds, he widened his eyes at the revelation, "No way." He laughed so hard he let his hands cover his aching belly to ease the pain. "No way! Hinata-san, you are the Ultimate-"

And after he mentioned his true Ultimate, he suddenly got knocked out and could feel his body being dragged to somewhere else.

* * *

Author's notes:

Not my best work, if you ask me.

Emblem of Light. One. More. Time.

I keep doing a lot of re-edits here and there.

So we met a few more students. The thing about AUs is that you have to make sure everyone involved must have some sort of a backstory ready. It's not like the Killing Game where you start from scratch.

Next, being sick can hinder your skills as a writer.

I missed out a few, meaning they will come in the next day, the first class.

Say, do you think it wise for me to use '-san' and '-kun' and whatever related to that? Give me your thoughts.

That little moment with Makoto saying he's weak? That contradicts something in another paragraph, eh? (Lying Makoto)

That moment where he saw her is the start when everything will shape their bond as they move forward in the academy.

Wonder what Hajime's Ultimate is? Ah, hell, you know it already.

Favourite, Follow, Review, All of them. Your choice.

I need people to tell me just what the hell I'm doing. Thanks for the reviews beforehand, **a guest, Akiyama7Koharu, fallenstreet01 and annoyedbunny64**.

Next time, first class and more introductions. See ya soon.

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	4. 1st Class, First Class

Chapter 4: 1st Class, First Class

" _It couldn't be him….could it?_ " Kyoko, now in her brand new dorm room, sat on the bedside with her gloved hand holding her chin thoughtfully. It's not every day that someone came about and looked just like the one they met years ago. The chances of them actually being the person they did meet is really large, but there are those who you've only mistaken as someone else.

That's the dilemma our dear Detective is having. As much as I like to say it; but even detectives have trouble trying to remember a few things regarding their lives. ( **Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just writing it for the story** )

"He has the same features as Makoto; and when I checked with Father, he didn't tell me anything that was good enough as proof," she had talked to his father, Jin Kirigiri, regarding the matter. Needless to say, Jin tried to play dumb to our fair detective here and told her only the minor details of the boy. She rubbed her temples, a frown visible on her facial expression, thinking how foolish of her father to hide something of vital information, "As if Father would really give me the real details of this…. Makoto Naegi."

" _You mean you can't remember? Hah! Why don't you do a little investigating, then? In fact, I've stopped all servers relating to the outside world and flush out only the important bits and pieces – meaning; you can't go into personal details such as family, location and anything other than date of birth! I'm pretty sure you can figure it out on your own. After all, you ARE the Ultimate Detective._ "

If only she figured out *how* to access the servers, she would then whack him with a keyboard victoriously. Unfortunately, there is no such access. Why?

" _Wait_ ," she found a flaw in her father's plan. He could do all of that and more. She would be restricted of all access if he actually wanted to! But why would he try to stop access to the outside world if it was only about one single individual. She played around with the info given when finally….

Kyoko had cracked it. Atta girl, " _Could it be that he's toying with me because it truly *is* him? But how's that possible?!"_ Considering the amount of time spent, which was from evening to night, Kyoko let out a small yawn and stretched her arms. Luckily, each dorm room has a bathroom for student's ease of access.

"I might as well take the night off. This has been a long day," she changed into her sleeping attire, removed her braids and went to bed. She held onto the black dragon softly and hugged it to her chest, feeling the warmth that had kept her sane throughout the years without meeting him for a long time. The plushie had been her reminder; that they will meet again –by hook or by crook.

" _If only we met at an earlier time…when things aren't so intense and cloudy. I wonder, Makoto. Is it really you?,_ " she looked out through the window where the moon welcomed her in the white light basking the Earth. Kyoko kept looking at it, hoping that she would fall asleep, thinking about that boy she grew fond of since childhood.

And sure enough, her eyes wavered and slowly closed shut. Her breathing had become relaxed and sleep was what took over her.

* * *

 _The next day_

On the other hand, a rude awakening took over Makoto's sleep instead.

"Owwwwww," he woke up feeling groggy and sore. He had already exited the dorm and was the last to arrive for the first lesson of the 78th Class. He could not have started a worse day than this. As far as he could remember, he mentioned something about Hajime's Ultimate and, all of a sudden, the latter gave a swift uppercut to the chin, knocking our poor luckster out.

"Hajime's _definitely_ part of the brawn section, that's for sure," he muttered. As he soothed his aching pain, he had arrived his supposed classroom entrance according to the map on his handbook. "Good news, the handbook _is_ a nifty thing to use after all. I can use it to navigate myself here and there," he complimented the device. After a pause in front of the door and a deep breath, he slid it open.

"The fuck do you want, Bushy Brows?!"

"Language must be used properly and not in a way that will insult the listener! You must restrain yourself from doing so in school premises!"

"H-Hey, guys, come on. You seriously want to do this now?"

"Sigh…it never ends with their little fight until one breaks, huh? I don't think I need my divination to know that."

Mondo and Ishimaru were in a fight as Makoto entered the classroom. Figuring out that it will be a recurring case in the future, he had come to terms that they would have to solve it themselves. With a look of pity for them, he turned his head to see other students participating as part of the 78th Class. To say he was overwhelmed by their colourful appearances is an understatement.

He saw a lady-like girl in a black gothic dress sitting rather eloquently on a chair. She crossed her legs over one another and was a holding a cup of tea to her lips. She sipped some of the cup's contents and gave a satisfied sigh once she was done. "Yamada-san, stop acting like a fool and get me some more tea."

Her harsh words, belying her innocent face, reached the ears of a rather overweight glasses boy. He wears a grey unbuttoned cardigan over his white shirt adorned by an orange tie. His bottom attire includes black trousers and white trainers. He also wears glasses and has an ahoge pointing up sharply. Yamada clumsily brought a tray consisting a teapot and a small plate meant to place the cup on it.

"That's….different," Makoto commented. It's not that he find it strange. It's just that someone like her had already manipulated one student to do her bidding on the first day. He scratched his cheek saying, "I feel bad for him already."

"I am surprised that you are one of the few to notice the nature of their actions. Most would ignore anything around them due to nervousness," he turned around to see a hulking beast standing before him. He looked up, fearing for his life when he saw an intimidating face. "I am Sakura Ogami, Ultimate Martial Artist. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"E-Eh?" the luckster tried to control his urge to take a leak at that moment, because he looked intimidating as hell. Wait; was it a she, since the name was Sakura? "Y-You're a woman?"

Sakura smiled, "It seems there was no need to explain my gender. I am impressed you are able to notice it so easily."

"The name sticks out easily as a girl. And I'm guessing that because of your title, you became this bulky just for being the Ultimate Martial Artist?"

"You are half-correct, however," her ears perked up and looked to the side. Makoto followed her gaze and saw a tanned girl with… a well-proportioned figure waving happily at them. Makoto returned the gesture while Sakura nodded.

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Come sit with me!" she called for her. Sakura walked towards her, leaving a rigid Makoto behind. The boy had to give it a hand to the school: one too many surprises could kill him by the end of his years in Hope's Peak Academy.

"Hey, Naegi-kun! Over here!"

"Huh?" Makoto looked over to a blue-haired girl – one he knew very well. She wears a sailor-like, white and blue uniform with a pink bow on the front. A plaid blue skirt and black socks that end at her thighs with brown, buckled shoes completes her attire fully. Makoto realized who she was. Heck, everyone in his neighbourhood back home knew her! "S-Sayaka Maizono?!"

"That's right! The one and only!" she giggled cheerfully as she ran to Makoto held his hands between each other, "It's been so long hasn't it?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess so," Makoto blinked in shock. Never in his years would he actually meet the superstar that rocked Japan, who also happened to be his schoolmate in the past. "We both studied at Blackroot Junior High at Nagoya, right?"

"You remembered! That was 4 years ago, but we didn't meet up often. I always saw your parents picking up earlier than the rest, so it wasn't hard to know about you," she explained.

"Oh…..yeah, that's right," how could he remember that? That was the only time he remembered because of his sister's jealous complaints that he got into the same school as Sayaka Maizono when he was younger. She even showed him a picture of her. He released his hands from Sayaka's grasp and frowned at his memory loss, "My sister talks a lot about you, you know?"

"Really?" she gasped, putting her hands on her open mouth, "Then maybe I can go see her, since we practically live in the same city."

"You live in Nagoya," again, he blinked in amazement as he muttered the words. " _Wait till Komaru hears about this. She'll go nuts when she finds out_." However, there was something else in his mind now that she's here. He asked, "Say, how did you sign up for Hope's Peak Academy?"

"Oh, I haven't told you that, right? But isn't it obvious?" she winked cutely at Makoto, who clearly didn't understand what she meant. "I am the Ultimate Pop Sensation. I got in here because of my fame!"

"Ultimate… Pop Sensation?" Makoto cocked his head curiously. He never did understand how the academy worked, but if it can even give titles like that, he wouldn't be surprised if there were any weird titles given to other people. Still, Sayaka's title intrigued him.

"Wait, you're the Ultimate Pop Sensation?!" a new voice asked the girl. Both of them turned to see a man with…. A nice-looking goatee. Wearing a white shirt covered by a white jacket with a popped collar, he's got heavy accessories such as a chain necklace and belts all over him. He wears black pants and white platform shoes to finish it off. He looked excited as he hurried to the duo's location, "So that means you know about top musicians and skilled music trainers! Am I right?"

Sayaka, bearing a surprised look, replied awkwardly, "Umm…..sorta, I guess. But that doesn't mean I know ALL of them."

"Oh," the boy scratched his head with an awkward smile, "Sorry, Maizono-chan. Guess I got a bit too excited about having to meet someone who does music. Anyways, the name's Leon Kuwata, Ultimate Baseball Star! Though I'm thinking of changing to Ultimate Musician when I get the chance."

The superstar and luckster wondered: can he actually do that? After all, each student was handpicked to represent the talent that is deemed to be their highest level of ability. However, Leon seemed determined to change it to the one he's so passionate about – assuming it is about his passion, of course. Nevertheless, Leon explained why, "I can see why you think it's impossible. I got reasons for wanting to change my title to Musician. That's my secret, so don't bother about it, 'kay?"

"Um, yeah, sure. I don't really mind," Makoto responded.

"Me too. It's not like it's anything bad that you have to change immediately, correct?" said Sayaka. Leon gave a grateful smile and nodded in approval.

"Thanks a lot. I was a bit worried that I might not find friends here. The guy I met first is a total dick! He thinks he's all high and mighty just because he's the Ultimate Affluent Progeny."

"Ultimate Affluent Progeny?" Makoto repeated questioningly.

"That's right. Have you ever heard of the Togami Family, the world's wealthiest and most influential family? Their descendant is the Ultimate Affluent Progeny," explained Leon. Makoto went wide-eyed at the news. He could not believe that such a family existed. He lived his whole life knowing about companies that made it to the top, but never a family – especially when their child is deemed the Ultimate Affluent- oh you get what I mean already.

"That's….amazing."

But Leon snorted hatefully at the boy's compliment, "Yeah, no kidding. But he's an asshole, thinking he shouldn't be dwelling with us 'commoners' at anytime soon."

"Come on, Kuwata-kun," replied Sayaka, "he can't be all that bad, can he?"

"Maizono-chan, seeing is believing. I learnt that the hard way coming from *him*," he mentioned the pronoun venomously. Makoto deduced that this progeny must have had some pride to tick Leon off.

Realizing that he needed to find a seat soon, he told them, "Listen, I gotta go find my desk for class soon. I'll see you guys when this is all over, okay?"

Sayaka smiled, "Sure. See you later, Naegi-kun."

"Same with me, Naegi-kun!" Leon patted Makoto's back, "We'll catch ya later."

The luckster nodded and left the two with their own conversation.

Makoto walked to Chihiro's group who were sitting in their desks. He waved at them which was replied back. However, he bumped into someone along the way there. "Ow!" he grunted. He fidgeted backwards and balanced himself afterwards.

"Hmph. You should watch where you're going, commoner."

" _Oh, I think I know who *this* is,_ " considering Leon's warnings, he glared at the Togami descendant. He wears a fine-tailored black suit over a white shirt with a green criss cross tie. He has short blonde hair and wears white-framed glasses. His arms were crossed and his head raised up high with his eyes looking down on Makoto.

"You should know that was your own mistake. I was merely walking when you happened to be passing by. I looked at you while you didn't," he explained coldly. Somehow, Makoto had the urge to just kick his nuts already.

"Y'know, it's common courtesy for someone to just stop if they did notice it. It's what you call manners."

"Heh, you claim it so, yet you never followed them, do you," he mocked, "Makoto Naegi?"

Makoto suddenly felt eyes on him. He glanced around, seeing everyone in the room witnessing as the luckster challenges the progeny in his own game. He saw the purple-haired girl sitting quietly in the left-most front seat with her backs turned. He decided to deal with that later.

Right now, someone needs to be put in their place.

"Honestly, Makoto," the man casually said the name, not giving a care whether he had given him permission or not, "commoners like you should know their place when facing with an individual like me. We're on a different level of power. I'm sure even *you* noticed that. Or is your head filled with so much luck that those things don't matter to you?"

"Luck, huh?" he chuckled loudly. He stared happily at the progeny, "You know, I got in this academy purely based on that."

The progeny smirked, "Which is why you will understand that I am of a higher stature than yours. Be told that you will not reach my rank anytime soon."

"But you know what's funny, Togami-san?" he called to him. His eyes began to shine gleefully, "That because we're in the same class as of now, that must mean that the academy thinks we're on the same level. How they actually rate that – well, I'll leave that to your imagination."

Loud murmurs were heard. This moment was a first for all of them. No one had ever told the Togami child that. Yet, Makoto had dared his life to make a stand in the seemingly one-sided argument. Makoto never did like people like him. He was against these kinds of people since middle school! He knew how it felt to be looked down upon; to be thought as a stupid person.

"What did you say?" he asked with a scowl. Makoto stood firm, his face donning a relaxed expression. They looked like they were about to do it when a hand stuck out, blocking their sight partly.

"That's enough, Byakuya Togami, Makoto Naegi," the lavender-haired girl, Kyoko Kirigiri, stood between them. Her eyes glared at Byakuya, who only adjusted his tie and walked to his desk behind him.

"Hmph, I have a more important business to attend to rather than this rabble anyway."

She then looked at Makoto, who sweated profusely with a scared face under her gaze.

" _Crap. Did I take it too far?_ " he thought to himself. He was not about to get himself in trouble on the first day of school! Perhaps he should have thought that such an argument would surely bring about school authorities' suspicion of a fight to break out. He didn't think that he would cause such a scene. Makoto frantically planned at least something to say to the girl heading towards him.

But Kyoko was being tormented by her own mental ideas at that moment as well. She observed him sternly, making out any distinct detail of the boy, " _Can it possibly be him? Only one way to find out._ " She walked to the cowering luckster who took a step backwards, only to be blocked by a chair. When she stood directly in front of him at close proximity, she stared at his eyes which stared at hers. Their heights were similar and does not differ from one another.

She asked the important question, albeit in a whispering tone, "Fireworks festival."

..

..

..

"Eh? Festival? What are you talking about?" he inquired. Kyoko blinked twice while the former blinked thrice. They stared in a limitless pause as they gazed into the truth of those words. It was something special – well, at least for Kyoko. They blankly looked at each other not as hopeless lovers, but as awkward acquaintances. That put her on edge.

She lowered her head, shadowing her eyes in the process, and muttered, "You're not him." He turned on the spot and walked a few feet away from Makoto. The boy only stood awkwardly, unsure of what had just transpired. Then the girl stopped and looked over her back to glare coldly at him, "My name's Kyoko Kirigiri, Ultimate Detective. This is the last time I will help you, so guard yourself later on."

With that said, she faced forward and headed towards her desk. But the name stuck to Makoto.

"K-Kyoko?" he muttered. At last, he thought, he found one with the very same name that had haunted him for the past nine years. After much deliberation and patience, he finally found her. " _But…..is it really_ _ **that**_ _Kyoko?_ " he had expected the girl to be more bubbly and had cast her non-disclosure behavior away. Incidentally, he never did imagine her to be a detective of all things. "It couldn't be…..and her family name is Kirigiri."

There is no way, he pondered the theory, that his friend would be the daughter of Hope's Peak Academy's headmaster, even if the said headmaster knew him years back. " _Whatever the case, she's not the Kyoko I know. And just when she kept my hopes up for a while_."

"Dude," he felt a pat on his back, "you got rejected really badly, man."

"Huh?" he rotated his head to the right to find Hiro expressing what seemed to be sympathy, "Oh, that? Nah, I think I had my fair share of it before. It's nothing big for me."

"Naegi-cchi, you could at least cheer yourself up after that," Hiro sweat dropped after hearing his reply.

"It's no sweat, Hiro-san. Now, come on. Class is starting soon," the both of them went to their seats, which were close to Chihiro's and Mondo's. The crowd that gathered dispersed, following what Makoto had advised as well.

Upon meeting the programmer and the gangster, Makoto snidely commented, "So, have you guys stopped arguing already?"

Mondo scowled, "Hmph, he better fucking be. I've never met anyone with a hard head like his." Makoto chuckled. Although he disliked his friends fighting, he couldn't help but find it really humorous that a gangster can actually stand up to possibly the strictest moral student he had ever encountered. Even so, he felt wrong for thinking that way. Instead, he sat on a chair in front of Mondo's.

"I think you guys will be good friends soon enough. Here's hoping for it."

"Damn straight," the trio laughed at Mondo's pouty remark. The class door slid open as they finished their conversation. Makoto observed the individual going to the teacher's desk.

He thought, " ** _He's_** _going to be our teacher?_ "

The teacher is a man presumed to be in his fourties. He has dark silver hair tied into a short ponytail with a light grey stubble. His eyes are pale green and narrow, almost like he had not slept for days. What he wears is an unbuttoned light brown overcoat and a black turtleneck sweater underneath it. His bottom attire consists of a brown trouser and dark green military boots. His distinct feature is a wolf insignia marked on the left chest area of his coat.

"G'morning, everyone," he said in his deep hoarse voice as he yawned. He cleared his throat and continued, "I'll be your classroom teacher for the rest of your years here. Call me Teach, if ya want. Oh, and the name's Ginryo. Last name is not needed."

His introduction was a strange one to the whole roster. They wondered if actually just woken up from his sleep and had to rush to class. More than that, they all thought, is he _really_ a teacher? Byakuya stood up and slammed his desk angrily, "What's the meaning of this?!"

Ginryo picked his right ear lazily and replied, "Hm? What is it, princey?"

"This is Hope's Peak Academy, the most prestigious school of Japan. I expected their resources to be akin of a world-class level. But never did I imagine that an oaf like you will be a teacher of all things!" he pointed out frustratingly. Murmurs from the other students kind of supported his claims, but one student was sighing from all this.

"Jeez, you could've done that in a calmer way," muttered Makoto. In any case, he saw a girl with glasses and two long braided hair nodding rather quickly, almost worshipping his words. He found it disgusting, but later felt it normal, "If it's Hope's Peak Academy, anyone can get in. Even people like her."

"Soooooo, you think I can't teach ya anything, even if I wanted to?" Ginryo scratched the back of his head, trying to understand the gist of what the boy had said.

"Exactly and precisely," Byakuya crossed his arms rather arrogantly, "to think you are able to give any kind of _useful_ knowledge is somewhat impossible."

"Byakuya Togami, eh?" Ginryo closed his eyes and continued, silencing the arrogant heir, "You're the Ultimate Affluent Progeny and, coming from the wealthiest Togami family, you've got everything that fits your need."

"What does my status have to do with all this," he replied cockily.

"Turns out you have a close bond with your butler, Aloysius Pennyworth, and your sister, too. Both of them are located in Switzerland as we speak," Byakuya widened his eyes and gaped in shock, "They're living in a cottage north of the capital, safe from the snow and wildlife. Hm, maybe if I send some of my boys there, it wouldn't be so safe after all, right?"

"H-How did you know? That is exclusive only to my parents and I!" he asked fearfully. Ginryo smirked.

"I suggest you put yer ass down. Next," he turned to the other students who straightened themselves, fearing whether they will be next. Makoto's ears perked up just hearing that. There was more than what meets the eyes when it comes to Ginryo, "Sakura Ogami. You supposedly have a dying boyfriend, correct? Do you mind if I pay a _fateful_ visit to him – possibly his last?"

"You!" Sakura stood up intimidatingly. Even with his behemoth size, Ginryo remained unfazed.

"Then sit your ass down. Honestly, you guys need to chill. Next! Hifumi Yamada, your parents currently reside in Tokyo. Well, easy to find them anyways," Yamada cowered under his gaze, "Next! Yasuhiro Hagakure."

"Uh, m-me?" Hiro became frantic, thinking about what could possibly await for his close relatives.

"That's right. You. Your mother is living in an apartment now right? It's not that hard to find, considering how damp the place looked like."

"Hey, don't talk about how my mom lives her life!"

"Next!" he ignored, "Leon Kuwata. That gyaru girl really needs to find someone else in her life. She's going to have a killing time if she doesn't."

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I'll kill you if you ever touch her!"

"Kuwata-kun, calm down!" Sayaka struggled as she latched onto Leon's raised arm meant to punch the teacher.

"Hmph, and to think you need a cool head for baseball. Next! Celestia Ludenberg. I can send your cat to the pound if ya want me to. Aoi Asahina, it's a shame if your brother happened to drown unexpectedly in a pool, yes? Next," as he mentioned everyone's names, everyone started getting nervous. Just who was he to have actually memorized everything about their family and friends?

Makoto, on the other hand, was intrigued, "Now this is something," he muttered.

"Makoto Naegi. Ultimate Luckster, huh?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's me," he scratched his cheek nervously. Ginryo smiled warmly.

"You seem like a good person. Tell ya what, why don't we have a chat later on, meaning we don't have to talk about how to kill your sister, eh?"

He stopped scratching. He gave a long pause to everyone. The class became deafeningly silent as they waited his answer. "Honestly," he gave a chuckle and smile, "I really hope you don't do that, Teach!"

Ginryo laughed heartily, "Now you're acting like a Hope's Peak Academy student!"

"E-excuse me, but, wh-what does our close r-relatives have to d-do with our lessons?" Fukawa asked meekly. Ginryo started turning serious. His frown became visible as he explained his reasons

"Being an Ultimate ain't all fun and games, y'know. Everywhere, anywhere, you're a target for either mafias, businessmen, politicians or even the common people! They will use whatever means to gain your support, even if they try to hold those close to you in custody," he pointed a finger towards Byakuya, who remained standing, "You, a progeny of the Togami family, should know very well to realize that the second someone takes away your family, you're **nothing**."

"Urk!" he recoiled, feeling his heart being stabbed a thousand times. Slowly and shakingly, he returned to his seat. Satisified, Ginryo addressed to the whole class.

"Looks like I haven't made a clear introduction from the start. Let me do it over again, this time with more bits and pieces," he motioned his thumb to himself smiling, "The name's Ginryo Jinkuro, Ultimate Seeker. I can seek, hunt and kill anything or anyone I desire! My class is all about survival in the real world." Just then, a murderous aura veiled over him as he said his last words,

"Class is in session."

* * *

 **Wait, we're not done yet. Someone's missing from the class.**

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait, WAIIIITTT! I'm here, I'm here!" The door revealed a twin pigtail-haired girl rushing through the threshold. However, she immediately tripped her foot and stumbled forward, landing on her belly.

"Owww," she groaned.

"Forgive my sister for her entrance. That was Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Fashionista," said another voice coming from the class door as well. It was another girl, this time with short-bobbed black hair. She wears the Hope's Peak uniform and has a tattoo on her right hand, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Mukuro Ikusaba, Ultimate Soldier."

"Oh?" Ginryo arched an eyebrow at her, "Well, you were just in time. Class is starting, so get to your desks already."

"Yes, sir," she responded. She then comically picked up Junko's unconscious body bridal style and went to two desks beside Makoto's. She carefully placed Junko on her chair and went to her own. Makoto decided to say a hello or two.

"Hi," he smiled, "My name's Makoto Naegi. Nice to meet you!"

"You," Mukuro widened her eyes and tinged her cheeks red. She shook her head, thinking to herself about something. Then, she smiled and nodded at him, "Same here."

Makoto nodded in affirmation and after that, class started for real.

* * *

"Say, Fujisaki-san, wanna meet someone from the upper class?" offered the luckster to the programmer. They had just finished their period with Ginryo, who insisted that he be called by his name or simply Teach. In the end, only Makoto and Mondo decided to call him by his nickname while the others by his real one. The lesson was a grueling one, since they had to recall back the past mistakes of certain Ultimates that fail to live by their own means.

Chihiro, shaken by the videos of said Ultimates, replied, "Are you serious? You don't even want to sleep after seeing that?"

"Look, I know it's a fact that we have to face someday. But right now, it's the time for ourselves to make bonds and friends. Remember what Teach said? 'Ultimates rely on their friends to back them up. Making friends with Ultimates is like making sure your safety is assured at all times," he calmly explained. Makoto actually liked Ginryo's class. He looked like a carefree man and doesn't seem to mind if someone's higher or lower than him or not. He's the middle man that kind of sets the bar for students to aspire.

He admired that trait of his.

Chihiro, after much thought, chose to follow Makoto's plans for today, "Sure, why not? Let's go meet those seniors you mentioned."

And so they exited the class, leaving a distraught Leon sitting quietly as he contemplated on what he could do, Toko as she feared the worst for her own family and a sweating Hifumi who clearly has no idea on how to save his own kin.

In the hallway, Makoto and Chihiro talked about various things. Ranging from books and mangas they've read to video games, they spilled almost everything they know.

"Are you kidding?! That's my favourite game series!" exclaimed Chihiro, "Pokemon won my heart when they introduced the cool Suicune in the roster. I have the handheld in my room. I play it when I don't have much else to do in my free time."

Makoto laughed along, "Then tell you what. Let's rig up an online match. Your Suicune against my Raikou. What do you say?"

Chihiro smirked confidently. No one had beaten her in a Pokemon battle before. Not today. Not ever, especially when she starts with a disadvantage, "You're on, Naegi-san."

They continued their conversation until they reached the cafeteria halls. Like before, it was quite empty. However, after they set their tray of food onto the table, swarms of students from his class and one other class he didn't recognize entered the area. They lined up to take their meals and, as Makoto and Chihiro saw them, two was called on by them.

"Hey, Hajime-san! Chiaki-san! Over here!" Hajime and Chiaki looked to where the sound was and found Makoto sitting with a cute little girl beside him, though she had a shocked look on her face seeing them in the flesh. Hajime waved back while Chiaki continued playing with her PSP.

Once the duo had gotten their lunch, they sat together with Makoto and Chihiro.

"It's good to see you're in one piece," Hajime remarked mischievously, earning a sweat drop from Makoto.

"That wasn't very nice of you to do that. We could have solved it in a nicer way."

Hajime's ahoge twitched twice, "Agreed. But it's embarrassing, Naegi-san. Try living in my shoes where people around you think 'Oh, his hair is moving so weirdly. Ew'. Yeah, I get that a lot from them." He scowled at the memories of it.

Makoto chuckled, "Okay, okay, point taken. Anyways, there's something I'd like to introduce to you." He grabbed Chihiro's shoulder who was fidgeting a lot lately, "This here is Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer."

"Hey," Hajime greeted the usual way, but he noticed something was off. Normally, Chiaki would say hello, too, but…. He turned to her who stared at Chihiro blankly, "Uh, Chiaki-san?"

The gamer blinked, "Oh, right. Hello to you too, f-" and she was cut off by Chihiro's hands on her mouth.

"G-Great to see you, too, Chiaki-san – I mean, senpai!" Chihiro gave a nervous laugh and turned to the two boys, "Listen, Chiaki and I wants to talk about something for a while, so bye!" she grabbed Chiaki's left hand tightly and pulled her with the programmer as they skidded off to somewhere else, leaving Hajime and Makoto behind.

"F-Fujisaki-san? What just happened?"

"Huh," said Hajime, "Looks like they wanted to have some privacy about something. Maybe they knew each other before they met." He narrowed his eyes, not believing what he just said. " _That, or the girl could be the reason why she's here_."

"Yeah, I guess so," Makoto scratched his cheek, seemingly unknown of the thoughts that flooded Hajime. The latter returned his gaze to Makoto.

With a sly smirk, he asked, "So, tell me about it. Are you and Chihiro an item?"

This time, Makoto blushed at his own question, "What?! No, Hinata-senpai, we're not. We just happened to be friends. JUST friends, like you guys, too." He stared at the ahoge-eccentric boy inquisitively, "Why do you ask?"

"The same reasons you asked us," he answered, plain and simple, his ahoge bouncing consistently. He then started eating his meal, prompting Makoto to eat his. After a while, the two girls returned, though Chihiro was more like acting than usual.

"H-Hey guys. Turns out she's my cousin, so it's no surprise that got shocked that she's here, hehe. We're distant relatives living on different districts, that's all! Hehe," she explained which Chiaki nodded. Makoto saw the hesitance in Chihiro, but decided not to delve further into the matter.

"Oh? From which part of your family, Chiaki-san?" Hajime bluntly asked, his demeanor unchanged.

"From Shibuya... I think," Chiaki answered for the both of them. Seeing as that is the truth laid before him, Hajime reluctantly nodded and continued his lunch.

" _Maybe I'll ask when she's more comfortable with me,_ " Makoto thought to himself.

"Again, I'm sorry, Hajime-san," the programmer slightly bowed in apology, "I'm sorry that I put your date on hold, since you were looking forward to it, too. Chiaki said so."

At that time, he was drinking his juice. So, unfortunately, he threw all of it at Makoto's face again, who begrudgingly wiped it off his face again…..Again.

"Wh-what the hell?! Why do you guys think we're dating? And Chiaki-san, why did you tell her that?!"

"Oh, I remembered about that argument you guys made yesterday, so I thought it was appropriate to mention and relate it back to them. I read about it in a book… I think." Chiaki put finger under her chin, pondering whether she did read the book or not.

Hajime was at a loss while Makoto pitied him. The former's ahoge curled rather softly as he blushed, "I…I…..Tch, it's always me who gets all embarrassed." He crossed his arms and pouted.

"I feel sorry for you, Hinata-senpai," Makoto said with glee, "I mean, your ahoge talks a lot about your emotions-"

" _Yeah, keep talking, Naegi_."

"It's no wonder you're the Ultimate Ahoge!"

And he gets another uppercut, ending the conversation. Poor Makoto. Poor Makoto Naegi.

* * *

Author's portal:

As he wrote the final sentence of the chapter, he cracked his knuckled, signalling that he's done.

"Author-san!" Junko jumped out of nowhere but Author quickly evaded her bone-crushing hug, making her fall instead. She got back up with a pout, "Hey, why'd you have to go and do that?"

"I'm not someone so easily attracted to a voluptuous figure, unlike you with Yasuke-san. Now, leave me be. I have to get this chapter done for the viewers."

"Ooh, ooh, are you going to tell them how awesome I really am? Like, maybe," she went on and on about her non-existent traits, which was ignored by the author, "and hey, you can even talk about my relationship with Makoto!"

"Junko!" he shouted in anger, "I will not allow you to spoil anything or you will face the wrath of my awesome imaginative powers!"

"Oh, come on, lighten up. Hey, viewers! Yoohoo!" She waved at you, smiling, "My relationship with Makoto is strictly-"

" **Die! A Hundred Bamboo Spears of Gungnir!"** A portal opened beside the author, unleashing the said amount of spears. it pierced through Junko's body in multitudes, leaving holes practically everywhere. She dropped to the ground like any dead person would. But she's not dead yet.

She looked at her sister and reached out a hand, "Mukuro-neesan...avenge me."

"Hmph, I have no excuse to do so," with that, Junko comically passed out.

Just then, the author sat back on his seat and looked at you, "No, she's not dead yet. No Ultimates will be dead in this story. Besides, if she died, what's the point of writing this story? Oh, wait," a sly smirk appeared on his face, "An Ultimate *will* die. Who it is...well, let's just wait and see."

He flicked his fingers and everything blacked out.

* * *

Author's notes:

Emblem of Light. Feels so good to beat the shit out of Junko.

Feeling good with this chap, I guess. That's all up to you though.

Ginryo comes from gin (silver) and ryo (to hunt).

Let me know if the kyoko moment was not needed or is needed.

Review, Favourite, Follow, all of them.

Holy shit, this is more popular than my other two stories! How it happened - I have no idea.

This won't be focused only on Makoto and Kyoko. When the time comes, I will take a look at other students' stories. Character development, mates.

Next time, we meet the more eccentric seniors. See you then.

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	5. Mr and Mrs Senior Part 1

**Kuzuryuu: Heh, you're late, author. You're being quite a dick with the readers.**

 **Emblem of Light: Says the guy whose dick is shorter than mine. Honestly, go to the children's room , why don'tcha?**

 **Kuzuryuu: What did you say?! Are you fucking with me right now?!**

 **Emblem of Light: Do you want me to?**

 **Kuzuryuu: ...**

 **Emblem of Light: Good... now shut up and let them read the real thing.**

 **In any case, apologies for making you wait. One guest asked about my updates: Whenever I feel like it. You want high-quality content? Wait, please. I don't wanna give you guys some crappy episode and make you leave this story.**

 **With that set, let's get on with show...**

* * *

Chapter 5: Mr and Mrs Senior Part I

Y'know, I have a bad affinity with introductions – especially when it is the start of every story when you have a brilliant idea. Sometimes, I don't know where to even begin and start writing. It's like when you just punched someone in the face and you hoped he gets up from the strike, but he remained unconscious for quite some time. If I was in his shoes, I'd pretty be nervous on where to even begin my explanation.

That, my readers, is what Hajime Hinata is feeling right now.

" _Shit_ ," he mentally cursed. He had let his temper get the better of him once again. Long story short, Makoto said something, he knocked him out like a champ. He sweated profusely as the students gathered around to see the strange spectacle. One student, a programmer, tended to the fallen boy while the gamer stood by Hajime, apparently standing asleep.

" _Shit,_ " he thought again. He clenched his fist nervously. He glanced around to see the people that he recognized as trouble: a gangster-like guy, a huge wrestler-like fighter and a white-clad bushy brow guy. " _And just when I thought making friends is a good start to keep up my rep_."

"Excuse me, senior!" Hajime turned to meet with the same bushy browed student, a rigid face present in his features. He continued, "May I ask what has happened to poor Makoto Naegi?!"

From the angry tone of his voice, Hajime deduced that he must be his classmate. This is not good at all. He had hoped to explain to a reasonable person, but judging by his rigid stature and the way he commands his tone, his ahoge twitches twice in acknowledgement. He was not about to get away with this one. Even so, he had to try. "Look, Bushy Brow. I can explain…"

"DON'T call me Bushy Brows!" Hajime flinched at the sudden increase of his voice, "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Ultimate Moral Compass. Now answer my question, please: what happened to Makoto Naegi?"

" _Well, might as well come clean_ …. I punched him. That's what happened," he answered casually. Ishimaru furrowed his brows and glared at him.

"You…. How can you do that to your own junior!? You are supposed to be an example to him, yet you decided brute force is the way to end a conversation?!" he pointed a finger at him.

"Jeez, are you going to talk like that all the time?" Hajime picked his right ear before continuing, "Naegi-san's fine. A small ice pack will get him back up."

"Senior, you are being irrational!" the moral student retorted. Hajime gave his own glare at him, causing the former to shrink a little under his gaze. His ahoge shuddered in anger. His glare was cold, unrelenting and experienced. Ishimaru could have sworn he felt something crawling on his back.

"Being irrational, huh?" he turned his body to face Ishimaru, "You may be the moral student, but let me tell you something: nothing's irrational in Hope's Peak Academy. You got that, Bushy Brow?"

"Umm, guys….. don't you think Naegi-san needs medical attention right now?" Hajime and Ishimaru looked at Chihiro who gave the suggestion. Indeed, Makoto seemed unconscious and it is unknown whether he suffered any kind of severe damage to his bone structure. Hajime agreed and nodded.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Let's get him to the nurse's office-"

"Excuse me, senior, but I will not let you go now!" he stated, "You must be taught again that striking against another student is unlawful and requires the immediate attention of the headmaster!"

"Whaaat?" he scratched the back of his head in annoyance, "Can't you see I'm trying to help Naegi-san to get better? Isn't that enough to make amends?"

"No, it is not! The headmaster will know of this matter and will make a fair judgement on your status in this school. Now, senior, if you would please come with me. We will go to the headmaster's office immediately."

" _This guy's relentless, isn't he? Even so, I guess that's why he's the moral compass_ ," he thought to himself. Hajime heard the murmurs: some speaking of Ishimaru's suggestion while the others wondering what ticked the ahoge boy off. He glanced around, yet he could find no way out of this place.

"Hey, you," a new voice said, "You better have a good reason for picking with my friend here."

They both looked at the incoming student with pink hair. Wears a bright neon yellow jumpsuit with yellow sneakers. His jumpsuit has brown streaks on both sides and hot pink markings going down his ankle. Other than that, he wears a grey beanie that covers his badly layered hair. He also wears hot pink prescriptions eye contacts.

The said person had his hands in his pockets and was standing upright against the moral student's stance, "Look, he's already trying to help the poor kid. Which one of you actually knows where the nurse' office is; except for my class, of course." No one said a word, believing it to be true. He gae a menacing grin, though not intentionally. He showed off his shark-like razor sharp teeth, "So that means Hajime-kun is the only one wiling enough to bring him to the office. Isn't that right, _Ishimaru-san_? That's your name, right?"

Ishimaru grunted in defeat and shut his eyes, "I….. I suppose you are right. Very well. I will let it slide for once."

"Hey, what's goin- oh my! A dead body!" a blur of pink and white went past the jumpsuit student. It was a girl, wearing what seems to be a nurse' outfit, already tending to the boy's state.

"Souda-kun," he turned to see Hajime smiling, "Thanks for the support."

Souda Kazuichi returned with a sharp grin, "Hey, don't mention it, buddy. That's what comrades are for, right?"

"Whew, he's not dead. Thank goodness….. ah, that doesn't mean that I wanted him to be dead when I said it! Y-You think I'm weird, aren't you?" said the nurse. Chihiro sweat dropped at her frantic nature.

The girl is indeed wearing a nurse' outfit, but there ae also bandages wrapped around her left arm and right leg. Strange as it seems, she wears a band aid on her left knee cap. She also has a beauty mark right under her left eye.

"Tsumiki-san," Hajime called her to which she faced him in response, "Is Naegi-san alright?"

Tsumiki nodded, "Umm, yes. It's just a light concussion. He should be able to get up soon."

And sure enough, a groan escaped Makoto's mouth. Everyone lightened up and the first one to his side was Maizono. "Naegi-kun, are you okay? He didn't hurt you that bad, did he?"

Hajime watched as Makoto woke up and held his head in pain. He felt sorry for what he did. After all, he didn't mean to hit him that hard, but when it comes to the Ultimate he was assigned to, he just couldn't help it.

Still, he owes him an apology either way, "Hey, Naegi-san. Sorry about that."

As he offered a hand to get him up, Makoto accepted it gratefully and got back on his feet. Maizono, Tsumiki and Chihiro did the same as well.

"Nah, it's fine. At least we're still friends, right?"

"Friends…" Hajime blinked. He never did think of them as friends, only dorm mates. But since Makoto had long considered him one, he instantly felt guilty that he didn't see him in the same light. Regardless, a warm smile formed on his mouth as he said, "Yeah, you're right. We're still friends."

"Yo, Hajime-san!" said Souda as he shook Chiaki awake, "Class is about to start soon. We should go, pronto!"

"I hear ya!" he turned to Makoto and said, "See you later, Naegi-san."

Makoto nodded and replied, "Yeah, you too."

With that, they parted ways as each students went for their respective classes.

"Well, that worked out well. Right, Hajime-san?" asked the gamer. Hajime sighed in relief.

"Sure glad he took it well. I'm not sure how I could handle the situation. Then again, I couldn't have made it out there without Souda-san behind my back," he gave a grin after mentioning his name. Chiaki smiled at him and then went back to her PSP. After a while, Hajime noticed that she closed her eyes and stood still. He stopped, left behind by his other classmates.

" _This girl's got some serious sleep issues._ "

"Hey, Hajime-kun," Souda latched his arm around Hajime's shoulders as he said, "Looks like you're already making trouble with the lower classmen, huh?" He grinned as he saw the irritated face printed on the latter's face.

"Don't remind me that. It's bad enough that I'm on edge with my own class and now this," he scowled. He never did like his class for a few reasons: an arrogant yakuza, an overhyped guitarist, a dirty-mouthed chef and sharp-tongued dancer, "It's only at times like the holidays or breaks that I get to enjoy my life here."

Souda chuckled in response, "You don't have to see it that way. Chiaki-san and I are here for ya! You can always count on us."

"Hehe. I sure can," chuckled Hajime. He can always count on him and Chiaki to lighten his life up. Ever since he came here, those two had been behind his backs for quite some time. They are like peas in a pod, despite the overwhelming difference between the trios.

" _Souda-san's always able and good. He's a great guy…._ " Hajime gently shook the girl awake, earning a sheepish smile in returen. They continued their path to the class.

"Ah, Miss Sonia! Grr, Tanaka….."

" _If only he isn't such a doofus around Sonia and Gundam._ "

* * *

The next day

Saturday, the holy grail of the week.

Thankfully, Saturdays and Sundays are off until further notice by the class teacher. With that in mind, Makoto had just woken up from his sleep, his eyes groggy from yesterday's events and his mental state in a mess. Thinking a couple hours of sleep wouldn't ruin his day, he tried to close his eyes.

"Mondo-san! You must not run around holding such a precious package! Walk properly!"

"Aw, like I fucking care! This is Saturday, man! Gimme a break, will ya?"

"Hey, Mondo-cchi, look out! Waaaaaahhh!" a loud crash graced the boys' dorm, along with the quake-like rumbling. It shook Makoto completely awake.

"Damn you guys," slowly, he rose up and rubbed both of his eyes. He let out a loud yawn to signal his rise from the dead and got himself off the bed. He went to his dresser table and looked at the mirror, adjusting his hair to make it look right. then, he went to his wardrob and took out his usual clothes.

With that said, he figured a light walk around the academy is a nice a change of pace after the intense introductory classes they had, "At least this time I get to see everything."

True enough, yesterday was a wreck. They had met their class teacher, Ginryo Jinkuro, Ultimate Seeker, who blurted out the darkest secrets about being an Ultimate: the survival of being one. They had a most twisted session, being presented with clips of talented individuals being dead or ripped off of their mind and soul. It was a gruesome documentary.

The second class, however, was less disturbing as the teacher of the subject talks about what the positive aspects of an Ultimate truly is. Though it soothed them to know that, it did not have enough influence to cover up the fact that they will be targets for pretty much everything in the entire world.

" _Guess that's reality for you. Still, those pictures scare the heck out of me,_ " with those final thoughts disappeared, he locked his door from the outside and exited the dorm.

"Oh yeah," he spoke out loud as he passed the lobby, "there's an indoor pool that everyone can use, right? That sounds pretty cool." Thinking there's still time before breakfast, he made his way to the swimming pool. He went up the stairs and opened his e-Handbook. He still found it useful for many things. He can organize his sessions on it and he can set dates for various things; the thing's a Jarvis machine. Soon enough, using the map on the handbook, he arrived at the pool.

Opening the door to it in the second floor, he took note that Hope's Peak left no stone unturned when they built this.

"Th-This is huuuuuuge!" he gaped at the sheer amount of space that the pool covered. There are even pool chairs – for God knows whatever reasons why there is a need to place it here – and a lifeguard's post with various rescue devices used. The pool itself is a marvel to look at.

He then saw someone doing laps in the pool, albeit faster, "Huh? Who's that? Wait, isn't that…." He narrowed his eyes to identify whoever was swimming in the pool at such an early time.

She's been doing well so far. She had finished almost eighteen laps of swimming and she's not done yet as we speak. She aimed to do at least twenty laps before a break. Regulating between freestyle and butterfly strokes, her stamina knows no bounds. She is now finishing the nineteenth lap with the freestyle stroke. Once she reached the edge of the pool, she did what every swimmer does: roll and turn to the opposite side of the pool. She pushed away from the wall and continued, this time with the butterfly stroke.

Makoto looked in awe at the speed of the girl's swimming pace. There's only one person who could do these kinds of actions without fail, "So this is Aoi Asahina, Ultimate Swimmer. She does live up to her title, I guess." After finishing her twenty-first lap with the freestyle, she called for a break and got out of the large pool.

She wears a blue one piece as she pulled her dark blue towel from one of the chairs nearby. Wiping the water of her face and body, she then covered her top half with the cloth as she walked towards Makoto, the sound of water dripping and the tap of the feet heard by a mile.

"Huh? Oh, Naegi-san! I'm surprised to see you here. Are you planning for a swim?" she called out to the boy, who reacted rigidly.

"Uh, not really. I just came to scout out the pool. Some of our classmates said it's awesome, and they weren't lying."

"Oh? You're sure you weren't her just for little old me?" she winked playfully at the luckster, who shied his glance away from her. He scratched his cheeks as he answered.

"N-No, that's not true. I'm just out for a little walk and figured the pool would be a nice to place start." Asahina had to laugh at his reaction, poorly misunderstood and pitiful. She giggled afterwards and walked past Makoto.

"I'm kidding, Naegi-san! Anyways," she stopped for a moment in front of the entrance and turned to him, "Mind waiting for me for a while? We can go get something to eat. You see, I also want to every nook and cranny of this school. Will you let me?"

Makoto blinked and thought about it, his hand under his chin. He nodded, "Sure, why not? It's not like I don't want people to be with me today. I'll wait by the stairs below."

With a nod from the both of them, Asahina headed to the changing room while Makoto went downstairs to wait for her.

* * *

Entering the cafeteria, they noticed a girl with a camera waiting quietly with her elbow on the table, her hand propped up under her chin. She seemed to be dozing off, seeing the snot bubble coming out of her nose.

The girl wears a green and white uniform with a cream-and-orange tie, knotted around the collar of his white uniform shirt. She wears knee-high socks in a slightly darker shade of olive green and dark green shoes. Her hair is bobbed and crimson. Also, there are freckles on her nose. Beside her sleeping head is a camera with an orange shoulder strap placed nicely on the table.

"She must have woken up early. But for what?" questioned Makoto. Aoi, at his right, wondered the same thing. They walked to the girl and took a good look at her. Aoi, especially, attempted to poke her propped elbow in hopes of gently waking her up. Makoto signaled a big no-no as he thought it may give her a rude awakening. Naturally, she ignored him out of curiosity.

"Mmmmmm….. huh? What the- did I fall asleep?" the girl opened her eyes, showing its crimson colour and voiced out a sleepy groan. She woke from the table and rubbed her eyes. She turned to find two individuals eyeing her. She widened her eyes, "Oh! I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"I'm Aoi Asahina, Ultimate Swimmer," replied Aoi cheerfully. She then gesture to the boy beside her, "And this is Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Luckster! It's nice to meet you."

The red-haired girl smiled and introduced herself, "You, too. My name is Mahiru Koizumi, Ultimate Photorapher. Just call me Mahiru-san."

"Sure thing! Say, Mahiru-san. What were you doing being up so early in here?" inquired Aoi. The loud simmering of a pan and the smell of deliciously cooked food brought their attention to the kitchen behid the long counter. They saw a boy, shorter than Makoto, wearing a small chef hat with its uniform. The boys is plump and tanned, and his hair is swept up to the side. Apparently, he is cooking a storm in the kitchen right now.

The chef, albeit short, had already prepared a vast amount of delicacies for breakfast. As he flawlessly finished his stir-fried noodles, he elegantly served it on a large oval white plate. He wiped the mess on its edges and added some condiments to complete the dish. After that, he was done for breakfast. Now, the lunch's menu should be somewhere on the counter.

As he reached the counter, he was witnessed to an amazing sight, though it is kinda perverted.

"! Why hello there! How are you all doing? Hold on a sec," he cleared the kitchen of the mess and hurried to the trio. "I'm Teruteru Hanamura, Ultimate Cook! Though I prefer to be called 'Ultimate Chef'," he gave a bow to complete his self-introduction. Makoto though of him to be quite gentlemanly.

"Finally, Hanamura-san. Is everything done?" asked Mahiru groggily to which Teruteru nodded.

"Yes, I have, Mahiru-san! Please wait a moment while I send the food to the table," he went back to the kitchen and left the trio to wait. Soon after that, one by one, various cuisine was presented to them on one huge wheeled table.

Ranging from Asian to Western, he can cook'em all. Makoto and Aoi watered their mouths as they hungrily stared at the food. The glossy surface of the jelly, the sparkling shine of the meat and crispy appearance of the French toasts exceeded their expectations of the chef.

"This is amazing, Hanamura-san!" shouted Aoi, "I never knew you can do all of this!"

"Why, milady," he combed his hair flirtatiously, "such words are a norm for someone like me. Although, it'll be much sweeter if was…..returned quite *substantially* with yours truly." with the way he waved his eyebrows, Makoto just realized that the chef is a somewhat disoriented pervert.

" _Then again, he has been eyeing on her bust,_ " he glanced to Mahiru, who was busy glossing the lens of her camera. While he wondered upon it, Aoi clasped her hands and said.

"Well, thank you for the meal!"

"Wait, hold it! Not until I take pictures of it," Mahiru stopped her. Makoto and Aoi looked at each other curiously and the former asked incredulously.

"What are you talking about? Are you saying you want to take pictures of food?"

"Hey, don't make it sound like it's a bad thing! My class teacher asked me to do this. It's a project that I have to do. Honestly, boys are just so blunt…." She blushed slightly and faced sideways, holding her camera properly.

"I'm sorry, Mahiru-san," Makoto apologized sheepishly, "I didn't mean to doubt you. It's just that we never heard of anyone doing this as a project."

"Well, what you know from other schools are completely different from here," commented Teruteru, gaining their attention, sans Mahiru who busied herself with polishing her camera lens, "In Hope's Peak Academy, all of your projects and presentations will be something related to the talent you represent here. Either that, or the total opposite of it. Usually, it's related."

"Wow, really?" Aoi tugged the collar of her red sweater, "I never knew that before."

"Meh, they always give you stuff you haven't used," Mahiru interrupted as she took photos of the food by the click of her camera. "Truthfully, this project is a pain. I only want to take pictures of people smiling. Happy thoughts and happy memories: those are something worth taking a shot at. Plus, you can't help but feel happy too!" she had taken the necessary yet well-taken photos of the food. She put the device on the table and continued, "That's why I became the Ultimate Photographer. But if you ask me, the title's a waste, really. It's not really a talent."

"How can you be sure about that," Makoto muttered. He was given the title 'Ultimate Luckster', a title that had zero meaning of his own capabilities. Technically, he is much worse than Mahiru. Taking photos as elegant as the one he unconsciously picked up, he couldn't help but mock her statement, "You're wrong, Mahiru-san."

"Huh?" Mahiru spoke, taken aback by the sudden denial.

"Like I said, you're wrong. Look at me," his eyes glossed at the thought of it, "I don't have any talent, save only for my luck. To know that you're good at this stuff but saying it's a worthy title…. It breaks my heart to know that. There are so much talent in the world we live in, including photography. No matter what happens, you can't think it's not worthy at all."

Makoto tilted up to see Mahiru's wide-eyed face and smiled, "You said you want to take pictures of people smiling and being happy, right? Keep having that dream. That's why you are the Ultimate Photographer. Never, ever, forget that."

"Naegi-san," no one had said such sweet things to her like that. Not even in years. All the others said was that it's natural for her to be able to make it here. Not Makoto, though. Never him. Hearing him complimenting her like that warmed her up. She nodded and gave a big smile, "Mhm! Yeah, I will."

"My, this sure is such heartwarming moment. Well, maybe _I_ am heating up for some good stuff between you two," said our good chef rather sensually. Mahiru blushed furiously at the thought of it while Makoto had a question mark on his head.

"Y-You sick pervert!" yelled the camerawoman angrily, which Teruteru laughed at.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! And he's right, Mahiru-san. Don't let yourself down. All of us think you have a special gift with lenses."

Mahiru sighed at his, for once, nice compliment while Makoto and Aoi chucked nervously. Suddenly, the ringing of a phone was heard.

"Oops, 'scuse me. That's mine," she whipped up a handphone from her left pocket and answered the call. "Hello?"

..

"Uh-huh."

..

"Really?! That's cool! I'll meet you there." She hung up.

"Who was that?" asked the luckster. Aoi looked like she had won a huge reward or something. At least, that's what Makoto thought.

"Sakura-chan said that she had just invented a new move in martial arts! I'm sorry, Naegi-san, but I gotta go. See ya! I'm going to the gyyyyyyym!" with that, she rushed out of the cafeteria…. Without eating anything.

"Man, she's a real whippersnapper, that one," spoke Teruteru, "and she hasn't eaten her fill yet."

Makoto and Mahiru sighed. The former replied, "Well, I'll get her share after I'm done with mine."

And the conversation continued still as they eat their breakfast cheerfully. Mahiru talked a lot about her family, especially her mother. Coincidentally, Teruteru talked about his own as well, who was suffering from a severe illness. Makoto had a great time, either way, as he learnt that both Teruteru and Mahiru had hidden sides of them: those which make him care for them.

" _Everyone has a hidden persona, no matter how you hide it,_ " though Makoto. After he was done eating, he was told that the leftovers will be for the latecomers and was given packed food meant for Aoi. Makoto graciously accepted it and hurried to the location where she is currently at now.

At the gym on the ground floor, he opened the doors to it and found Sakura practicing her moves in what seems to be….a wrestling ring? Honestly, why was he not surprised by that fact? Even the gym is freakin' spacious, almost like a stadium ground. There are various gym equipment, even those meant for martial arts such as punching bags and a punching stand.

He saw the swimmer cheering Sakura on, most likely about perfecting her technique. Thankfully, Makoto brought not only Aoi's, but Sakura's share of the food as well.

After a while, Makoto managed to give it to the swimming pro, "Here. You missed breakfast."

"Oh, thanks. Sorry about that," Aoi slightly blushed in embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her neck. Sakura, who was behind her, nodded in agreement.

"I apologize for making you send our meals from the cafeteria. You have my gratitude for it."

"The pleasure's all mine," he replied. He then waved goodbye at them as they continued their respective training.

"Hmm, there sure a lot of amazing stuff here in Hope's Peak. I wonder…"

* * *

Well, he did say he wanted to walk around a little.

So, he ascended up the fifth floor, where the biology lab and greenhouse resided. Makoto decided to pay a visit to the latter just to see how good it looks.

He arrived at the door and slid it open, revealing a wide array of beautiful and vibrant flowers. And that's not all: different kinds of trees cover the places which the flowers were not planted at. The view was almost stunning and marvelous. Makoto gaped as he breathed the fragrance it let out.

"Hey, pig, don't start dirtying the flowers with your filthy hands!"

"Ahhhh, sorry! I'm really sorry!"

"Hey, are you sure these flowers are good for me? They taste sour… really sour," Makoto's eyes caught view of a trio of girls crouching neatly near a bed of flowers. One of them was familiar, whilst the other was…. Eating a flower. That's illegal, ain't it?

The girl he recognized was the one who tended to him yesterday. The hungry-looking girl is tanned and has unkempt, shoulder-length chestnut hair. She wears a short-sleeved white shirt with the top few buttons undone, revealing quite a lot of her cleavage. She also wears a red miniskirt and cream-colored sock-less loafers.

"Oh, come on! Why don't you believe me? It has all the nutrients you need," said the girl snidely. She is a very petite girl with blonde curved twin-tails. She is dressed in an orange, traditional furisode kimono with a white floral pattern, tied with a green obi sash around her waist and secured with a bow behind her back. She flashed her golden eyes to his way and gave a scowl as she turned to her friends.

" _She seems friendly,_ " he thought sarcastically as he sweat dropped. Tsumiki then noticed him and gave a nervous look. It was then followed by the tanned girl who waved a hello at him. he replied with the same gesture as he walked to them. "Hi. My name's Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Luckster."

"Oh, you're the one who got knocked out yesterday!" she stood up immediately and gave a bow, "I am Mikan Tsumiki, Ultimate Nurse. I was the one who checked your wounds from last time."

"Yeah, I realized that. But you didn't have to state that of all things," Makoto sighed exasperatingly. The last thing he needed was for everyone to know what happened to him recently. The tanned girl walked up to him and asked him.

"Hey, you're friends with Hinata-san, right? The name's Akane Owari," she gave a thumbs up, "Ultimate Gymnast! He and I used to spar last year!"

"I….see," he sweat dropped. He decided against commenting her choice of fashion in fear of a similar experience coming for him.

"Sheesh, you guys are just hopeless at introductions," commented the small girl harshly. She then gave a sweet smile at Makoto, "I'm Hiyoko Saionji. It's nice to meet you, Naegi-san! I hope we can be great friends!"

For a moment, Makoto was compelled to reply the same way, but he knew better, " _I know the face of a bully when I see one._ " He frowned at her saying, "Yeah, nice to meet you too."

"…..Hmph, you're no better," she scowled again, "then again, you weakling always like to totter around with each other like ants. That makes it easier for me to use and squish!" She snickered at the thought, but one boy didn't want her to have her way.

"Careful, Saionji-san, or you might have to eat your own words," this earned a glare from the short girl, but Makoto didn't mind. He was used to it already. He kept a cool expression and his eyes were entirely different compared to his encounters with the others. No, this is when he shows his hatred for bullies. He prepared his face just for that, and somehow it worked against the blondie. She flinched under her gaze, disrupting her glare.

"Tch, you're a strong one."

"W-Well, you still don't know about her Ultimate, right? S-She's the Ultimate Traditional Dancer. Aaaahhh, don't look at me like that, Hiyoko-san!"

"Shut up, you piece of pigshit! You don't need to tell him that." She pouted in anger, eliciting a repeated apology from Tsumiki. Makoto had enough. Time to give her own medicine.

"It's alright, Tsumiki-san. I don't need to know the Ultimate of some pigshit either."

"What did you call me?!" this time, Hiyoko showed a ferocious glare at him who shrugged it off. He took one step forward and narrowed his eyes mockingly at her. He was looking down at her. Tsumiki became frantic as she tried, but failed, to calm both of them. Owari was getting excited at what seems to be a real fight between the two.

"Like I said: pig…shit."

"Well, isn't this surprising? Our two lovely Ultimates are having a despairing fight of hope in Hope's Peak Academy!" shouted a new voice. The quartet followed the source and found themselves looking at a man with white seaweed hair… just kidding.

He has shoulder-length messy white hair and light-green eyes. His body is surprisingly thin and tall. What's more, his hair gets whiter the closer it is to his scalp. His skin colour is pale and sickly, indicating some form of sickness. His attire consists of a plain white t-shirt with a strange red symbol on it, covered by a long dark green coat that goes down past his knees. A large red number '55' is on the back of the coat and a red square on the right shoulder of it. His pants are black jeans and has a long chain attached from the back to the front of them with a small skull charm attached to it. he wears brown shoes, too.

Bottom line: he looks freaky as hell.

"Oh, great," Hiyoko her eyes, "the pig's boyfriend is here. You came to save her from me or something?"

"H-He's not my boyfriend!" Tsumiki blushed furiously at the thought of it. The white-haired boy merely laughed at her attempts.

"Hahaha, your futile attempts only humour this frail hopeless luckster," he replied calmly, "but now, I hear an argument between you and this boy. I must say, go on. Truly, a fight of chaos and despair will bring forth the absolute hope that everyone is… well… hoping for!" He widened his arms to his side and gave a big grin.

"Sooooo, you actually encourage us fighting," questioned Makoto curiously. The boy replied with the shake of his head.

"No, I don't meant that. Of course that would be bad for everyone! After all, what hope would it create if it only brings despair upon others? I believe in the intentions of a fight to be hopeful. One which transcends the futility of one's own rational behavior all for the sake of hope – just like the one you're having now!" he cheered, weirding Makoto out. Hiyoko scoffed at his grand lecture.

"What are you talking about, creep? Why did you think we're fighting for hope?"

"Ah, but your intention is not pure, I know that. But the Ultimate Luckster here – the same one as I," he pointed at Makoto for indication, "has the intention to stop you from calling out despair! Your words crack a shell of his patience, causing him to fight back to stop you. No hopeful desire is greater than to stop one another from committing despair! Don't you think so, Ultimate Luckster?"

" _O-kaaay, this is not what I was expecting my day to be like_ ," Makoto thought to himself. He hadn't expected to be in this sticky kind of situation. Slowly, he walked backwards to the door behind him as the strange boy continued his speech, boring Hiyoko and Owari. Tsumiki, however, was intent on this 'hopeful' speech. " _Maybe she likes him? Ah, hell, maybe she's obsessed with him…. negatively._ "

"Oh, Makoto Naegi, was it? I eavesdropped on your conversation with the," he looked at the now escaping boy, "if you really are leaving this trash with them, then let me tell you my name!" He waved happily, "Komaeda Nagito, Ultimate Luckster! It has been a pleasure meeting you!"

"Yeah, nice to see you, too! See ya," he turned heels and headed straight to the exit, deciding against entertaining more weirdos. As he got out of the room, he unexpectedly ran to the biology lab. You can guess who he'll meet next.

He accidentally tripped upon entering the room and fell forward. Groaning, he heard the sound of a book closing, the steps of a pair feet getting louder, and saw the image of two flip-flops that he recognized.

" _Great_ ," he got himself up and glared at his first hateful encounter. The man didn't mind, though he did look annoyed that he happened to be in his lab.

"Huh," he spoke, "the luckster's back."

* * *

Author's notes:

Emblem. Of. LIIIIIIIIGGGHHHTTTT!

My final product. Can't say it's my most confident one. Tell me if the setting can be refined or replaced with a better one. All suggestions will be taken into consideration.

Ten points to whoever knows the last character Makoto meets.

Favourite, Follow, Review. Do all of them, if you want.

I would like to thank everyone who favourited this fic and followed it. Your reviews are also appreciated. This is the first story that has ever gained this much attention from y'all readers. From the deepest pit of my heart, I heartily thank you for your patience... Even though it's only 4 chapters long. Still, it's a feat for me (30/11/2015).

Damn, **Akiyama7Koharu** , you're hyped about this aren't ya?

 **SHSL Guest** , being a critical reviewer as always, you have my thanks for doing so.

Ya happy, **InsanityRadical**? You happy now, aren't ya?! YA HAPPY?!

Next time: more seniors and more introductions. See you then.

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	6. The detective's whims

Chiaki: What are you doing, Light?

Emblem of Light: What? Oh, I'm busy trying to defeat Fenrir in this game i got. Ah, dammit, why did you miss, Lester?!

Chiaki: Wow, looks interesting. What's it called? I kinda forgot the name.

Emblem of Light: Etrian Odyssey. The gameplay is super fun and the enemies are no pushover when you get further in... I think.

Chiaki: Then I suppose it's because of this game that you've been holding the story off... I think.

Emblem of Light: ...

Chiaki: ...

Emblem of Light: ... I think.

Chiaki: (smiles) Oh, well. Why don't you greet our readers and apologize?

Emblem of Light: (sighs) I suppose that is the best for both of us.

I apologize for the wait. I now present to you Kyoko's whims.

* * *

Chapter 6: The Detective's whims.

In a familiar office of the young-looking headmaster, he is not the only one who is present at the room. As he sat down on the black leather couch, sipping his tea while he's at it, he made occasional glances at the girl taking the seat opposite of him. He placed the cup onto its plate on the large tea table set at the centre of the room, making cautious movements to judge the intentions of his daughter visiting him this early in the morning.

He lifted his right leg over the other and clasped his hands together on his thigh. He asked with a pleasant smile, "It's good to see you again, Kyoko-chan. How are things with you?"

Kyoko was never the sort to make ends meet over trivial matters. Right now, reconciling is, on her part, trivial. However, it had come to her attention that her father is the current headmaster, much to her surprise. She knew that her fath- no, Jin – was involved in the Hope's Peak project. Being the man responsible for all activities in the academy was a particular detail she had not considered.

Usually, she would not even care about her father. Heck, he abandoned her for nine freakin' years and he had not written a single letter to her. Of course, that didn't matter. She was too busy enhancing her skills as a Kirigiri detective heir of the family.

The reasons she decided to *reconcile* with her father were two: to gain an informant which oversees all activities of the academy and make a stand that she refuses all fatherly activities by the headmaster, Jin Kirigiri. Cold, but that's how she is. She is the Ultimate Detective and she needed all available assets at her call to make sure that the academy will not fall. Despite her hatred for the academy born out of her father's effort, she has a promise to keep:

She will not sully the Kirigiri name, even if it also belonged to her father.

"It's not like there is a loving reason for me to be here… Dad," she replied harshly. Jin flinched, but he did not falter as he cut the chat for the important question.

"Then why are you here, dear," he questioned the lavender-haired girl. "Surely, there must be some kind of reason which requires the attention of someone like me."

"I…," she paused at that tune. She tilted her head down, shadowing her eyes. Her mouth formed a frown and her eyes had a painful look. She couldn't, can she? No matter how many times she replayed the predicted events in her mind, she could not help but think everything will fail, all because of her father's insistence that they spend time together. She had thought of every retort, reply and answer she could offer, yet she still could not utter the words she wanted.

Of course, Jin had noticed that. He's not a Kirigiri for nothing.

Thinking she may not be ready yet, he changed the subject to a less sensitive one, "I assume you met Makoto Naegi, yes?"

Kyoko's gaze quickly returned to Jin, a surprise present on her face. She then returned back to her stoic expression and answered, "What does he have to do with why I'm here?"

"Oh, come on, Kyoko-chan. The first time you visited my office, you immediately asked about him! Don't tell me you slipped up with him already?" he smirked at his own reply. Kyoko blushed at the thought. She shook her head and re-plastered her cold expression again. Jin chuckled loudly at her reaction. Indeed, during her first visit, the first thing she said was,

"The boy with the hoodie standing at gates in front of the lobby: who is he?" she asked desperately.

Thinking back, it was way off the attitude she always gives to others. But that just shows how much he cared for Makoto. No matter what happens, he had always been her cure of despair. And it pains him to see his own daughter relying on someone other than her own father. Still, he owed a huge gratitude to Makoto for being a non-existent support for her.

"Wh-Whatever it means," she cleared her throat and repeated the sentence, "Whatever it means, I didn't slip up or anything. In fact, I didn't expect anything much from him. He's not the Makoto I know."

"Are you sure? Did you double-check your findings?" he asked solemnly. Kyoko held her chin in thought.

"I didn't have any luck with the information you gave me. I am pretty sure that he's not around here. Besides, he," her eyes glossed, "wouldn't even be able to make into this academy."

" _Ah, so that's what's stopping her,_ " he thought. The conversation between Makoto and him is strictly limited to only the headmaster and any he wishes to share with. Thus, the authority of the headmaster is that of a record that will personally select whoever he deemed necessary to give whatever info on a particular student. However, because of that, he carries the heavy responsibility all on his own. " _But now that I think about it, he means a lot to her. If he can help her open up to others_..."

He had to try. It's his gift to his loving daughter.

"Have you tried talking to him, at least?" he asked. "Maybe he's not that much different from the Makoto you once knew."

This caught the detective's curious attention. She arched an eyebrow, "What are you saying, Dad? Are you implying that he's the same kid who had the same symptoms nine years ago?"

"I don't know a single thing after that, dear. You're the Ultimate Detective," he snidely replied. 'Why don't you use your skill you gained from the family, hmm?"

Kyoko glared coldly while Jin gazed at her lovely and beautiful daughter softly. The staring contest contest continued for a few seconds until a loud slam of the door opening rang in their ears, breaking eye contact.

"Mr Kirigiri, I have news!" it was the recipient, Hirato, who came rushing from the lobby. He panted in exhaustion from likely running all the way from his desk. He walked briskly to the sitting headmaster and handed a parcel, a brown rectangular package with a stamp and not to boot. "This just came from the National Hospital. It's a request for Yasuke Matsuda."

"A request; in the form of a parcel?" she earned a nod from her father who received the package and held it with two hands.

"That's right, Kyoko-chan. Here, in Hope's Peak Academy, there are additional things that you can do as an Ultimate student. If you perform admirably as your assigned Ultimate, you will gain attention from the public and be introduced to requests. Usually, the reward that comes with it varies depending on the client."

"Sounds like a video game feature to me."

Jin laughed, "Hahahaha! Yeah, I suppose so. But it can't be helped. The talent the students offer here will be greatly enhanced social-wise should they complete these requests. Besides, most of Japan's improvements for the last couple of years were because of them, you know."

"That's…. intriguing," Kyoko blinked in amazement. She had no idea the influence of Hope's Peak Academy had reached to such ridiculous heights. Jin sent Hirato away to do his duty as he stood up and faced her.

"Can you do me a favour, dear?" he asked. "I want to send the request to Yasuke, but I'm tied with other affairs. Will do this in my stead?"

Kyoko also stood up from the couch and crossed her arms, "Why should I?"

" _Like an arrogant rebellious girl, aren't you?_ " He twitched his eyes at the retort, yet he still smiled, "I want you to get to know the man who did well in the academy. Please, do familiarize with Matsuda-san. You'll learn a lot from him. I'm sure of it." He handed the parcel to Kyoko, who reluctantly accepted.

"I….. I guess so. But this won't be the last time we meet, Dad. I'll talk to you later," she turned for the exit and headed out.

"I'm sure you will, Kyoko-chan," he muttered to himself, 'I'm sure you will."

* * *

Biology Lab

"Huh. The luckster's back," the Ultimate Neurologist, Yasuke Matsuda, looked down on Makoto who picked himself up shortly. The boy brushed the dust of his knees and straightened himself. He stared at the older boy who continued, "While you're not as clumsy as her, you should watch where you're going. Who knows how many times you'll keep this up."

"Well, excuse me," retorted Makoto, "for being such a klutz. A good stranger would naturally help me up rather than talk me down."

"Hmmm… I suppose so. Maybe we're starting off badly," Yasuke suggested. He extended his hand for a handshake and held a blank face, "My name is Yasuke Matsuda, Ultimate Neurologist. Call me Matsuda-san for short."

Makoto hesitantly shook his hand and replied, "Um, sure." At first, he thought that Yasuke was a jerk, but his behaviour today seems different. Perhaps the neurologist was so focused on his work that he happened to have met him at the wrong time. Now, it looked like it is his leisure time, so of course he reacted differently. Then again….

" _Don't ask questions to people you might hate later on,"_ Makoto lingered on that thought: what happened that made him say that?

"Hellloooo? You're spacing out," a swat of a hand in front of him shook him out of it and made him stare weirdly at the aloof man. "If you're not feeling well, you'd best get yourself to your own room and-"

"Hel-looo, classmate! My name's Junko Enoshima!" Makoto turned around and was met with a familiar clumsy girl making a grand entrance in front of them. She stared at Makoto and grinned wide, "Hey, you're the kid who stood up against four eyes yesterday! It's good to see you!"

She jogged towards Makoto who had a blatantly surprised look on his face and grabbed both his hands together, "My name's Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Fashionista! It's great to see you!"

"Uhhhh, yeah, sure," he sweat dropped at the girl's insane enthusiasm. There was a sparkle effect in her smile that is quite entrancing, yet not hypnotizing – like a pure gem that brightens as it smiles blissfully.

"Anyways," she let go of his hands and faced her whole body at Yasuke. She an arched eyebrow, "Who's this hunky fellow?"

"Hunky? Me? Hardly," he said it with a deadpanned look. However, he widened his eyes immediately as he recognized the new face of the girl, "Y-You! What are you doing here?!" He walked backwards and quickly until he met the edge of a lab counter. Junko tilted her head sideways.

"Me? I'm a student here, silly! What makes you think….. oh!" Junko placed her hand on her gaping mouth in shock. Makoto had no clue on what was going to happen next while Yasuke was busy frantically looking around the area for a means of escape. "You're… Yasuke Matsudaaaa! How long I've waited for you, my soulmate!"

With the speed of a panther and the strength of a gorilla, she dashed to her 'soulmate' and gave him a crushing hug around his neck, mildly suffocating him. Yasuke gagged in pain and seemed to yell out indescribable words. "Get au a eeeeeee! (Get off of me!)"

"Oh, Yasuke-kun, you have no *idea* how long I've waited for us to be back together again! I knew that fate will bring us together once more!"

As Yasuke tried to release himself from Junko's grip, a small giggle erupted from behind the luckster. He looked back to see Mukuro having a light laugh at the scene unfolding, "My oh my, Yasuke-san."

"Ikusaba-san…" He had to admit. For an Ultimate Soldier, she has this charm or charisma that makes her feminine and mature. From her posture to her experienced eyes, nothing lacks the mark of a veteran. " _Which makes me wonder just how much she had gone through to get to now._ "

Suddenly, Mukuro walked to Makoto and said, "I believe we only met by acquaintance yesterday, correct?"

"Yeah, that's true. We were all so busy getting shocked over the footage Ginryo-san showed us and we sat far away from each other in the next class. It's no wonder it's an acquaintance."

"Aptly put," she nodded in affirmation, "Anyway, it's good to see you again, Naegi-san. How are you with school?" The way she asked the last sentence was filled with concern, almost motherly. Makoto had noticed that, yet he answered.

"Well, it's good. I can get my bearings right after all that's happened so far... luckily," he snorted at his own lame joke, "But everything's fine on my side. How about you?"

"If you ask me, I think it's a start for me," her mouth frowned, "but are you sure you're okay with everything currently? Not forgetting anything or so?"

To Makoto, it sounded like she was hinting on something, but he could not pinpoint on what it is. He scratched his cheek in confusion, "I…. I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're actually talking about."

Mukuro became silent. She started staring observantly at Makoto who fidgeted under such a powerful gaze. She then shut her eyes and muttered, "So you don't even recognize me or her…."

"Huh? What did you say just now?"

Mukuro shook her head in denial and opened her eyes. She smiled kindly at him, "No, it's nothing. It's good that my classmate is doing okay, even with me around."

"Hey, don't say that. Everyone's friendly with each other from now on!" they both laughed. Makoto then had a thought in mind, "Say, you were part of the military, right? Any cool stuff that they do for the army?"

Mukuro blinked in confusion, but she caught and answered, "Well, Fenrir isn't exactly what I call an army serving group or so-"

"Oh, Yasuke-kun, your masculine figure is still so memorable to me!" interrupted Junko seductively.

"I said back off! Someone get this witch off of my hide!" shouted Yasuke in frantic motions. The duo looked at him with pity and sweat dropped. Makoto had no clue on how to approach the matter, but Mukuro jogged lightly to the scene. She reached her hand out to Junko and pulled the ear of the fashionista away from the neurologist.

"Owowowowowowow!" she yelped in pain as Mukuro gave her an earful. She felt the glare of her sister filled with malice and destruction…. Well, the last bit was an exaggeration on her part.

"Junko-chan… don't embarrass me that way again. You hear me?" her words were absolute. Junko nodded sadly with comical tears coming out of her eyes. Yasuke brushed his shoulder off as he sighed.

"I expected Mukuro-san to get enrolled here, but never would I have a thought a witch like you would be able to get into Hope's Peak Academy!" he accusingly pointed a finger at her, who grinned ever so cheerfully.

"Yeah, but I'm your witch!"

" **Junko…** ," Mukuro's words were livid and silently violent. Junko felt the presence and screamed an apology.

"Kyaaaa! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" but later, she realized, "Wait, that's not even scary at all… how did you do that?"

Mukuro regained her façade and offered a sweet smile to her – how do I say, um – doting sister, "Oh, it's what you have to learn in Fenrir, that's all."

Junko shivered in fear. It is only day two and she now suffered the likes of lies which she had never seen. Yasuke grunted in approval behind her.

"As expected of you, Mukuro. You always know how to keep your sister in check. And you, Junko!" his voice became angrier, sullying Junko's bubbly personality to guilt as she pouted at him, "What's the matter with you?! You do realize that we're in a school? Why's your skirt so short?! This academy has a dress code to live up to, Junko. Also..."

Junko whimpered as he continued his lecture about dress codes and what-not. Naturally, Makoto discovered something about Yasuke. He decided to let the neurologist drink his own medicine while he's at it.

"Hey, you're not really dress code…..ish much yourself."

Yasuke became silent and glared at the boy, his anger being an aftermath of his angry lecture. He couldn't help but do just that, "Oh, really? Do tell me-"

"No one wears flip flops to an academy," he said with a deadpanned look. Yasuke felt his heart struck as he said that and blushed slightly in embarrassment. Mukuro silently giggled beside the luckster while Junko looked on admirably at him, being her saviour and all. Sweating slightly, he retorted,

"W-Well, I didn't feel like following them for now. Wait, that came out wrong...

"Soooo, what you're saying is that even seniors don't get so hung up over dress code and can wear anything they like - while we, your juniors, have to be so strict with the code. Isn't that unfair for all of us."

"I'm just trying to make a point," he muttered guiltily and hung his head in guilt. He realized he had gone over the edge and hurt her feelings. He felt like an idiot while Makoto sighed in relief that he had done something right for the trio.

"Forgive me, but am I interrupting something?" said a new voice, coming from the entrance of the lab.. again. Makoto recognized cold formal nature of the voice. Slowly, he stepped backwards and turned. A lavender-haired detective met eye-to-eye with the luckster.

* * *

At first, Kyoko thought this was an easy delivery job. Though there were moments where she was stopped by a few of her classmates for little introductions and all, it hadn't really affected her pace of movement.

The scene she saw in the lab, however, is a different story.

She froze in place when she discovered the ahoge boy in the vicinity. Although she did see Junko, Mukuro and Yasuke behind him, all of her thoughts centred themselves on the boy. She took note of the eyes, his frail-looking mysterious brown eyes, and the hair shaping like an antenna. In any case, her thoughts travelled all the way to his cute nervous look and-

" _Now hold on a minute._ _What?!_ " she shook her head lightly and cleared her throat. She walked past the boy like he was nothing and, parcel in hand, gave it forcefully to Yasuke's chest, who grabbed it quickly with curiosity apparent on his expression. "Dad wanted you receive this package. Said it was a request from someone."

"Ah, Mr Kirigiri told you that, eh?" he looked at the parcel with suspiciously narrowed eyes, one which Makoto recognized. The latter's mouth curled downwards, yet said nothing.

"In any case, Matsuda-san," Kyoko spoke, her right arm gesturing a handshake, "I look forward to meeting you again in the later activities to come."

"And I to you," he replied stoically and was about to receive the handshake… when Junko's hands ripped them apart from each other.

Jealously, she whined, "Hey, no one gets to touch his hand unless it's me! I'm his one and only soulmate!" She pouted in anger at Kyoko, who held an incredulous look. She stared blankly at Yasuke who only face palmed. The detective pulled her hand away from her grasp and caressed it.

"Don't mind Enoshima-san. She's very possessive of Matsuda-san when she's like this," Kyoko heard Makoto said that and faced him. He smiled kindly at the girl and asked, "So, I guess you're here to deliver just that?"

"Yes, that's only it," she nodded, "I never thought to find you guys here with him."

"Well, that's only plausible. Your dear friend Makoto here," Yasuke started, though his hand is still stuck in Junko's, "just had to come by the lab and brought these two with him."

"Brought them?" she arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She stared inquisitively at Makoto, who frantically raised his hands in denial.

"No, you got it all wrong! They just happen to see me running into the lab and Junko just barged in after I entered, that's all!"

"Funny for you to say that, Naegi-san. I was pretty sure you brought them with you a while ago," asked Yasuke teasingly. Makoto gave a glare his way. As if his confrontation with Saionji was not enough, Yasuke just haaaaad to push him further to the edge.

"Say, Naegi-san," he was called back by Kyoko, who then gestured him to go outside the lab. Makoto gave a curious look, but followed her order nonetheless.

"Oooooohhh, a love between the headmaster's little girl and the lucky boy," Junko had a twinkle in her eyes. She licked her lips in anticipation of the two's next move, "Scandalousssssss."

"H-Hey, we're not in that kind of thing!" explained a blushing Makoto. Kyoko paid no heed to the twin-tailed girl's tease and walked out of the lab, not caring if the luckster was behind her tails. Makoto exited afterwards. Junko smiled at the door which they used and twirled in excitement.

"Junko-neesan," called Mukuro. Junko gave a silly smile at her, who said, "Honestly, sister, you have to be careful of who you deal with. Kyoko Kirigiri is not someone to be so easily swayed by your teasing." Junko stopped spinning and stood in place.

". . . . . You think so?" pondered the fashion girl, earning a curious stare from Mukuro. Junko walked past her and Yasuke and looked out through the lab windows. She touched the glass gently and continued, "I could have sworn, y'know, that she had a blush on her cheeks when she left."

Yasuke became inquisitive of her answer, yet remained unasked. Mukuro, on the other hand, smiled warmly at her backside.

"I guess so."

…

* * *

"Hey, Kirigiri-san, wait up!" Makoto called out to the detective who showed no signs of stopping at that moment. Outside the biology lab, Kyoko walked in a single direction heading most likely towards the stairs. As she descended down the stairs, Makoto constantly tried to get her attention directed towards him. Sighing after a number of times, she stopped and turned, causing Makoto to halt his movements.

Her eyes drilled on his appearance, from his spiky ahoge hair to his adorable face and upper attire. She spoke, "Why were you so rude to Matsuda-san?"

"Huh? That's what you wanted to ask me about?" Makoto blinked in confusion. He was sure there's nothing wrong with a little misunderstanding or banter with a senior, yes? "I just met him and we happened to talk about some stuff. Then, Enoshima-san and Ikusaba-san came in and tons of things happened too quickly." He scratched his cheek in embarrassment afterwards, "I guess, to you, it looked like some sort of an argument. Or maybe I did blow some steam for a while there. Sorry."

"….." Kyoko said nothing and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She knew that there's more to the story, yet she also knew that he wouldn't tell. Had she not worked as a detective before, she would actually believe in his persuasive story. But, if she had to guess, he probably didn't want the others to get in trouble because of him. After all, getting caught y the headmaster's daughters can do things to your life.

"Anyway, Kirigiri-san, it's my turn next. What was in that parcel that you gave to Matsuda-san?" asked Makoto, his eyes filled with honesty. The purple-haired girl needed to word her answer right. It was strange, she thought, that she had to be so wary with even a guy who happened to have gotten lucky.

Strange indeed.

"It was a delivery from a well-known company. My dad asked me to send it to him. I don't know about the contents, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh, no, I'm not really interested in that. I'm just surprised that you had to do even small tasks like that," Makoto chuckled afterwards. Kyoko was upset at his remark.

"Well, I'm sorry, Naegi-san. I didn't know I was seen as a princess who would let her servants do these requests."

"Wha- Wait, no, I… crap, I screwed up. There goes my luck with girls," he sighed disappointingly. He had a despairing look on his face as he thought about the numerous times he remembered – and forgot, which was sadly reminded by his sister – the times he bluntly said rude things to girls his respective ages. It's such a shame, really, that thanks to his former condition, he hadn't gotten the chance to make ends meet with them. Though, that would have probably been a bad idea in the first place.

Kyoko could not help but giggle a bit after seeing his expression. She then realized that she had gotten a bit comfortable with him, which inwardly shocked her. " _Strange that I can be so free around him. Somehow, he reminded me of….no…_ "

Her eyes were shadowed and her mouth curled downwards. She sighed softly without a single sound. It was then that heavy footsteps, proud and dignified, came down their way.

They both looked at the direction of the sound. Byakuya strolled down the long hallway rigidly and with such powerful charisma. He crossed his arms at the sight of the unsightly pair. He raised his up high and gave a discomforting glare. Makoto flinched under his gaze while Kyoko remained steadfast.

"Hmph, to think I would find the likes of you in my free time is a revolting thought."

"Same here, Byakuya-san. Heck, no one really likes you after that stunt you pulled with me," retorted Makoto. Byakuya glared dangerously yet calmly at the luckster whose stare was brimmed with confidence. Kyoko shook her head quietly and decided to interrupt.

"That's enough, you two. You should learn from yesterday that your arguments will only bring trouble to for both sides."

The prodigy huffed to his side, his pride refusing to admit that his stature is of equal standards with this luckster. Makoto merely shrugged his shoulders and gave a hum of agreement. Kyoko, although the outcome was not what she expected, was content with their answer. Suddenly, something caught her eye afterwards around the corner of the hallway. It was… huge. And had blonde dirty hair like Byakuya. Kyoko also caught a glimpse of his white uniform that resembled Byakuya's. he even had the same glasses like Byakuya's…wait.

Kyoko, stupefied by the stranger's appearance, chased after him who just went around the corner of the hallway, leaving the two behind. Makoto worryingly called out to her, "Hey, Kirigiri-san, where are you going?! Wait up!"

Right when she passed the corner and met with the newcomer, she could have sworn she was looking at a mirror reflecting Byakuya's inner pompous self. He is…..well, in a polite manner of speaking, obese. With dirty blonde hair and the same uniform with only white colour and a larger size, he looked like the exact opposite of Byakuya Togami!

"Who," Kyoko blinked, "or 'what' are you?"

"Hm? Oh, are you talking to me?" he pivoted on the spot and presented his chubby face at the detective. He adjusted his glasses while saying, "Ah, you must be the new students this year. I am Byakuya Togami, Ultimate Aff-"

"You. Are. Definitely. Not. Me," said a familiar voice. She spun to see a shocked Makoto and a furious Togami prodigy behind her. The latter's eyes were filled with rage and contempt, pointed directly at his impersonation. The impostor, however, remained at ease, almost as if he had expected this outcome to happen.

"Well, well, well," he smirked, "we meet for the first time."

"You little incompetent piece of shit! What gives you the right to impersonate the famed Byakuya Togami?!" he flipped. He couldn't handle the fact that there is an impostor on the loose. And he's already giving a far worse impression without even trying.

"Togami-san, please. You'll understand once I've started explaining myself," said the impostor. And their banter continued. Honestly, I don't want to record their dialogues. All you hear are stuff even I can't comprehend…. Oh, who am I kidding? Here are a few snippets of it.

"You are a disgrace. You used other's attitude and faces to hide the true ugliness of your pathetic state. It's no wonder you would impersonate me of all people."

"Oh? Am I hearing things? Byakuya Togami is practically okay with me acting as him? I wonder if I will eventually take his place as the true prodigy?" he smirked as he saw the real thing's face contorting into irritation and anger.

"You bastard… you will rue this day soon enough. Mark my words, I will-," and pretty much the rest of it.

Makoto and Kyoko had no intentions of stopping them. Why should they? They're enjoying the sight of an arrogant Togami and an overweight one butting heads with each other. This is too much to pass, even for Kyoko.

"So, um, who's going to stop them?" inquired Makoto. Kyoko shook her head, smirking.

"Definitely not me. Why don't you have a go, Naegi-san?"

"M-Me? Nah, I don't think I can stop someone like them," he answered shyly. Suddenly, a figure went past the two and towards the two Togamis. The girl put her hands on the sides of her hip and gave a stern look at them.

"Togami-san, Twogami-san, stop it, please," her voice was commanding, gentle and firm. Her tone reached the ears of the heirs and made them turn to her, Mukuro Ikusaba. The skinny one gave a huff and looked to the side. The impostor only crossed his arms and waited in anticipation of Mukuro's next set of words. Mukuro had just wanted to leave the lab for Junko and Yasuke to catch up. It was by chance that she saw the prodigy and luckster running past a corner. Curious, she followed.

"Oh, look, another one I can't stand already," the real heir mockingly said, "Why don't you just go and tend to your stumbling sister and let us settle this once and for all?"

"I'm sorry," she unconsciously went to her belt, consisting of a holster for her military knife, "can you please repeat that for me again?"

"I said: go tend to your stumbling fool of a sister. Are you deaf to not hear me?" their cold glares filled the hall with icy malice. Makoto sweat dropped. This isn't going well.

"Pfft," a small snicker came from the impostor's mouth as he covered it up. With that, he had everyone's attention on him who started to laugh loudly. He found the confrontation stupid and humorous.

"Hey, you! Why are you laughing?!" Byakuya pointed a finger at him accusingly, yet the latter couldn't stop guffawing non-stop. It even influenced Mukuro to giggle. Heck, Kyoko felt obligated to do so as well. Byakuya's vein popped in his forehead, "What the hell are you guys laughing about?"

Kyoko then felt something vibrating in her left chest pocket. She picked her phone out from it and observed the message which was the source of the vibration.

" _Hey, Kirigiri-san, I got something that might help with your investigation. Come see me at the cafeteria_ ,"

The sender was Chihiro Fujisaki. Kyoko had, by chance, met up with CHihiro yesterday night. It was at that time that she requested something from the programmer regarding her 'case'. Here's hoping she will find anything useful.

Makoto snickered, satisfied that things turned out well. He then felt the tug on his left sleeve. The hand belonged to Kyoko's, "What is it, Kirigiri-san?"

"Ahem," she cleared her throat, "I got a message from Fujisaki-san about something related to some matters."

Makoto gave a nod in affirmation, "O-kay, so why are you telling me that?"

"I….. Well, you see….," Kyoko looked nervous. Of course, why wouldn't she. She had already come to terms that Makoto looked cute. She hadn't really experienced a normal teenager's life before coming here. Add the fact that she was being taught how to be detective by her own family did not help with her socializing outside her expertise and you have an anti-social kuudere…. Wait, that's not important in this story.

She shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath. She opened them again, her face turned rigid once more, "I wanted you to follow me and get involved with this. Maybe, with your help, I might be able to clear up something important. Are you fine with my favour?"

"O-Okay, I'm fine with that," but Makoto saw an opportunity he couldn't pass up. He smirked, even though he knew it might get him killed later. He nervously said, "J-Jeez, Kirigiri-san. And here I thought you were going to confess to me or something."

Kyoko widened her eyes and felt her cheeks go red as a rose. She retorted, "B-Be quiet. Let's just go already."

Makoto gave a wide grin, "Alright, lead the way!"

And so, they left the three-man group who were still bickering away about the impostor. Mukuro glanced sideways to see a red Kyoko followed by a smiling Naegi. She smiled in reaction, " _So you finally opened up, Naegi-san._ "

What happened to Makoto, you ask? Why did she say he finally opened up, you inquire? I'm afraid this chapter is at an end.

* * *

 **Author's portal:**

"Hey, Light, what's this?" Makoto asked, his hand holding what seems to be a flyer. Light spun his chair around and gave an 'oh' sound as an answer.

"That's the flyer I'm going to use for a friend's fic. He asked for a favour, so I started printing out these flyers."

"Alright, so what does it say?"

"Gimme that paper," Makoto handed it back to him. He read it out loud, " **Dear readers: If you are a fan of Fire Emblem, There is a fanfic called 'Talking about Anything: Fire Emblem Awakening' by 017Bluefield. Although it is written as a set of drabbles, you will nonetheless be engrossed and humoured by the various scenes in his fanfic. I know I did, so give it a shot!** "

Makoto cocked his head, "Seriously? That's what this is all about? You're willing to hand out flyers just like that to the mass?"

"I recommend what I find most interesting," he replied, "It doesn't matter whether it is the best or not, so long as it entices the mind or gives you an idea of an entirely different kind of human-bred in the same world. Granted, the drabbles may create a bit of confusion, but that's just about it. The content is more than enough to satisfy my interests."

"Huh, so you've really thought long and hard about this."

"Of course," he answered grandiosely, "What good would it do if I, Emblem of Light, refuse to do a friend's favour?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Makoto was about to turn when he felt a pair arms waraaping itself around his waist. he recognized the owner of these delicate hands and smiled, "Can you please let me go, Kyoko-san? We really got to get out of here before the readers think differently about us."

As her answer, she reluctantly let him go went in front of him. She gave a cute pout as a response to his orders. Makoto chuckled.

"Oh, will please get a bloody room, already?" Light teased them, making them blush furiously. He laughed and continued, "By the way, a poster came out for the anime for Danganronpa 3: End of Hope's Peak."

"What, it did?!" Makoto yelled uncharacteristically, "Show me, show me!"

"Here," with the flick of his right hand, a medium-sized poster magically appeared in it, "And I gotta tell ya, mate. Puberty hit you like a truck."

And it was at that moment that Kyoko saw Makoto's rather mature appearance, causing a nose bleed out of her and fainted.

* * *

Author's notes:

(Post-note: Excuse me, readers. Is the current chapter not up to your satisfaction? Please do review any complaints regarding it. I would hate for even a guest to be displeased with my work. I am still a novice, after all.)

Yeah, yeah, Emblem of Light, here.

Been so long, eh? Thanks for keeping up with me.

Lots of things happened on my side. Some important and some... grievous.

And, woah, over 200 views per chapter? You guys really are the cream of the crop. I never would have thought this would be a hot idea.

I saw a review complaining that there is less Naegiri interaction in the previous chapters. It's because of that reviewer that the idea of putting ourselves into Kyoko's shoes happened to cross my mind. Now do you see how important your reviews are?

I had planned for more, but I believe the end part was more than enough. You're gonna see something slightly different than before next chapter, anyways.

Junko is a klutz in this fanfic. She loves Yasuke like a dog to its owner. And Yasuke hates her. I'll be adding more quirks on her as we go on.

And, boy oh boy, did you see the two new Danganronpa stuff last week? Puberty hit Makoto like a bus! And the new game is mindblowing. Who knows what goes in the director's mind?!

Enough rambling. Next time, a few more seniors and a dark night for both Makoto and Yasuke. See you then...


	7. Encounters and Mysteries

Makoto: Uh, why'd you bring me here?

Light: Because, Makoto, you're not the the main star in this chapter. You'll have your spotlight later on. Right now, everyone wants to see something different.

Makoto: B-But that's not for you to decide! How can you tell-

Light: Because I lied...

Makoto: WHAT!?

Light: Greetings everyone! Let's get on with the show, shall we?

Makoto: Hey, Light! We're not done talking!

Light: Alright, now for some apologies, folks!

I apologise for the delay. I present to you the next chapter.

* * *

Chapter 7: Encounters and Mysteries

And so, they, Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Kirigiri, are walking downstairs to the ground floor. In summary, Kyoko was called through a phone message by Chihiro Fujisaki, who is said to have new information relating to her current case…. Whatever it may be. Makoto Naegi, who happened to be by her side when it happened, was asked to follow her despite him not being affiliated (sort of) with the case at all.

Nonetheless, as they arrived at the ground floor, they saw the door to the cafeteria opened. They entered the hall and was met with two lonely figures waiting for lunch to be ready whilst sitting on one of the tables.

Chihiro waved happily at them, seeing as she was the one who called them over. Beside the programmer was someone Makoto had never expected to be met with again: Nanami Chiaki. She lazily raised her head from her PSP and waved a hello to their way. Makoto responded in turn while Kyoko crossed her arms and nodded.

Seeing as the players of this next scene has arrived, I have set for Makoto and Kyoko to be sat next to each other, their chairs opposite to the programmer and the gamer. Kyoko will obviously pioneer the conversation whilst Makoto will sit idly by, listening on the conversation. However, he won't be for long.

"It's nice of you to accept this offer, Kirigiri-san! I was afraid you might not show up," said Chihiro. Kyoko shook her head in disagreement.

"That's ridiculous, Fujisaki-san. I asked for your help on this. It's too shameful for me to not think of my partners this way."

"Ah, come on, Kirigiri-san. You're giving me way too much credit. Oh!" she forgot that she had someone to introduce to the detective. "I'm sorry, but," she gestured to her side, occupied by the lazy-eyed gamer, "This is Nanami Chiaki, Ultimate Gamer. We're cousins who used to live together back when we were kids. It was a surprise that she even managed to get into the same school as I!"

"I'm sure it was," Kyoko glanced at Chiaki, who was busy playing with her devices, "But she definitely looks like someone totally unrelated to you."

"Ack! W-Well, you see, I, uh…"

" _Nailed her like a champ,_ " commented Makoto in his own thoughts. Chihiro became flustered and her eyes widened, not knowing how to counteract her claims. She needed to think carefully – this is Kyoko Kirigiri that she's arguing against!

"Umm," Chiaki, who noticed the change of air, raised her hand for permission, "can you please stop messing with Chihiro-chan? She's not good with explaining things since all she talks about is normally computers."

"H-Hey, don't say that, Nanami! I'm trying, you know!" argued Chihiro with her 'cousin'. Makoto chuckled in amusement, reminiscing his times when he teased Komaru a lot. It's sure nice to bring memories like this into play.

"I…..see," Kyoko saw the opposite. Throughout her years, she never thought of it happening to her. She barely recognized any sort of interaction within her household, so she felt a bit isolated when they started fighting.

"But, Chihiro-chan, you said it yourself. 'I don't want to talk to anyone but my computers and Daddy!'," Chiaki gave her best Fujisaki impression, "'Also, when I get older, I want to marry-'."

"I NEVER SAID ANY OF THOSE THINGS!" she shut her cousin's mouth just when she was about to reveal it. Her face flushed in embarrassment and had a nervous look. Makoto stared blankly at her.

" _Cute,_ " he thought.

"A-Ahem," Kyoko cleared her throat to gain their attention, which successfully did. Chihiro reformed herself and muttered a shy apology. Chiaki yawned first then apologized. Currently, Kyoko has her full attention.

"Anyways, Fujisaki-san. You said that there was something you found from the computer about the case?"

Chihiro blinked one, wondering what she could meant. She then realized the reasons for her coming here and gave a nervous laugh, "Oh, yeah, that's right. I forgot."

Makoto laughed, Kyoko sighed and Nanami obliviously smiled. In any case, CHihiro brought her laptop out of her bag and place it on the table's smooth surface. She turned it on and a screen with blue data appeared on the left side as a column. Stretching her fingers beforehand, she went to work as she skillfully typed every data correctly, precisely and swiftly. Makoto was in awe of her performance. Kyoko arched an eyebrow. She was being presented a piano performance based off a modern keyboard.

" _So this is what a programmer does,_ " she took interest in the data that slowly filled the entire screen and, after a certain amount of seconds, collected all of it into the centre, forming a log-in account. She was dumbfounded, "That…..was for merely recreating the account?"

"Yup! That's right!" she happily answered. She typed the password on the account and it gave her access to the desktop. While continuously moving her fingers on the keyboard, she continued, "Dad used to tell me that my talent is both powerful and attractive. He said that there are a lot of bad people who wants my data for whatever reasons we can possibly imagine. Worried for my safety, he told me this neat trick since he was a programmer, too. Though, I made better work than him. Still, he seemed proud. Aaaaannnnnd done!"

Right after her finished explanation, the screen presented files with pictures of relation to the case. Names appear on each file and keeps coming out like wildfire. Kyoko studied the quantity of information given by her partner. She blinked once and gave a blank look to Chihiro, "Isn't this a bit too much?"

She gave yet another nervous laugh. She rubbed her head with her right knuckled as she said, "Sorry, Kirigiri-san, but you never did specify on which boy you're talking about."

" _Boy?_ " Now, Makoto had listened on something veeerrrryyy interesting. It's not everyday you get invited to hear about some girls talking about boys. Maybe this is, by chance, a blessing in disguise for all the trouble he's made for those girls in the past. He put an elbow on the table and propped his head under his left hand. He observed the conversation in earnest.

"Hmmm, I guess that's true. I'm sorry for having you to search almost all of that."

"Nah, no need to apologize. I think I'm safe even with this information. So, what do you want to know?"

Kyoko thought long and hard, her hand holding her chin. She hummed low as her brain analyzes the first thing that needs to be clarified, "I got it. Can we go by Japanese cities? I know that he moved somewhere else, but I'm sure my father mentioned something about it."

"Your father? You mean the headmaster," interrupted Makoto questioningly. Kyoko gave an affirmative nod at him.

"That's right. Seven years ago, I made a really good friend who was always by my side when I ask him to," Makoto nodded slowly, as if trying to figure out what it means. Kyoko excitingly continued, "He was also very kind and happy-go-lucky, yet resilient and strong. He had to handle a lot of hardships back then."

She put her hand on her chest as if reminiscing the moment, "In truth, he was slow, even when I explain a lot of stuff to him. But he never gave up and tried to keep up with me. I actually admired his passion for learning." A small smile managed to form on her mouth as she remembered just how enjoyable those times were. However, a frown took over her when explained the next bit, "But it all ended too quickly. After one month being friends with him, his family had to move out. I… I….. And it was just when my mother had passed away."

She whispered the last part, not wanting to give them any more details about the incident. Makoto and Chihiro both pitied her, but more so the latter. To him, she was a cold and hardened girl who could do anything her way. After all, considering that she's the headmaster's daughter, it's not shocking for her to be an arrogant spoiled brat.

But she wasn't. She was desperately waiting for someone – someone very close to her. It was rude of him to think of her like some kind of princess. Totally wrong of him. His hair shadowed over his eyes, thinking back to what he can barely remember of that day.

"S-So, do you want me to look it over and send it to you tomorrow?" asked Chihiro politely. It shook the both of them out of their own trance, causing them to nod at the same time. She noticed this of course, "Hey, Naegi-san. Are you helping her with this case?"

"M-Me? I just came because she asked me too."

"Even so," Kyoko interrupted, "you weren't that helpful in the end. I won't disturb your activities anymore."

"Oh, alright then," Makoto replied coolly. Though he did feel dejected, he already knew there wasn't much that he can do at the moment. However, learning Kyoko's past has certainly changed his opinion of the detective. He decided that, if anyone wants to be close to Kyoko, it would be him. " _If it's only to give her comfort, then I feel the same way. I lost a friend who I barely remember. Hopefully, just maybe, I can get through her with this._ "

And they're still stupid to realize they're right in front of each other the whole time. I know. Plot's easy this way, right? ( **Bullshit!** ) Shut up.

Aiming to change the moody subject, Makoto turned to Chihiro with a smirk, "Hey, Fujisaki-san. My dad says he'll send the DS this evening. How about we settle this tomorrow once and for all?"

She replied a smug face, "Oh, really? Come on, Makoto. You're facing with an experienced trainer here. I'm pretty sure I can beat you anytime you want." Fire was present in their eyes as they glared at each other. Chiaki smiled sweetly at the both of them.

"Then I guess you guys will be meeting up tomorrow. Mind if I become the judge for this match?"

"You bet, Nanami!" Chihiro replied enthusiastically. "Watch your cousin become a gamer as great as you-"

"In only Pokemon. I know you like the back of my hand, Chihiro-chan," Chiaki cut her sentence so swiftly and dangerously, it pierced through the programmer's heart with the fact that Pokemon's the only game that she's good at.

"Ah, um, well…..yeah."

Everyone laughed at her sudden answer, but they were still excited for the match soon, sans Kyoko. She noticed that Makoto's smile was somewhat soothing to see. It was almost reminiscent and lovely to see in her eyes. The left corner of her mouth curled upwards, seeing his smile as the cause.

* * *

After a while, Kyoko parted ways with the group who were still talking about Pokemon, EV training and a couple of things that she didn't manage to understand. She walked past the gym and staircase to the lobby. She gave a vague hello to Hirato who was busy handling some files. He didn't hear her of course.

Kyoko exited the school building and went to the front yard. She didn't notice it at first, but the flowers placed here were beautiful and fitting as the visitor's first impression of the academy's maintenance skills. From the small flowers to the more eloquent ones, she felt relaxed at the sight of it.

Until a shout of a lecture caught her off guard.

"No, you must not say things like that as your first impression! Tanaka-san, you must adhere to the formal greeting."

"Hmph, such an introduction does not befit the Dark Lord Gundham Tanaka."

"Well, hearing you say your name normally is _definitely_ one spectacle I don't mind seeing for once," now, there's a voice that Kyoko is familiar with: Hajime Hinata. Of course, who wouldn't after the commotion yesterday? Hearing it loud and clear from her table, the fight between him and Ishimaru was the talk of the school till the end of the day. Although she doesn't hear it much, the thought of it lingers.

"Hah, you who desecrate the floor with your lazy aptitude will not go so far if you begin flattering me for your own gain."

"Sigh….we're not going to finish this, are we? And why am I being sat on the ground like him?"

"Oh? I thought you wanted to support Tanaka-san's human personality, so I thought it was better if you go into the same position as he," explained the girl. Kyoko walked up to them to see Hajime sitting in a seiza position along with an unfamiliar man, both of them directly in front of a pretty-looking girl.

The man wears an opened black jacket which reveals his Academy uniform worn inside it. The left sleeve is pulled up to the elbow, held by silver pins, and he wears a long purple scarf that often covers his mouth like he is currently. Kyoko then saw his uniform also opened, showing yet another shirt under it which is slightly darker and has a greyish-purple cross design across its front. He seems to be wearing normal black pants held up with a black belt and silver buckle. His footwear consists of black boots with numerous straps across them.

His skin looks as pale as a geisha's. His hair looks shaved from the neck right up to his temple and the rest of it is slicked back except for in the hair in the middle, which is pointed up and is fairly curly. His hair color is black with pale grey streaks through it. Looking at his facial features, he has no eyebrows, yet his eyes are of different colours. He has a tattoo on the left side of his face that looked like a greyish scar. ( **I hate this. There's so much to say about his outfits, especially his bandages.** )

Kyoko found him to be a very strange fellow at first glance. Though, why was he sitting the same way as Hajime? Did he do something wrong?

"Hm?" The girl moved her head to Kyoko's direction after she felt something watching them. Her face beamed in delight after seeing her, "Oh! Are you not Kyoko Kirigiri?"

Kyoko crossed her arms as usual and nodded. The girl didn't mind her silent answer. Instead, she clasped her hands together and cheerfully said, "Oh, this is excellent time to practice!"

"Practice….on what?" she pondered out loud. She managed to get a good look at the girl from the front.

She is a tall, young woman with blonde knee-length hair with pale skin and green eyes. She wears a green and white dress with a large red ribbon on the chest and a dark green, almost black, ribbon in her hair. She also has a diamond barrette. Kyoko thought she saw a pure light radiant behind the girl.

Oblivious to her stare, the princess-like girl introduced herself, "My name is Sonia Nevermind, princess of Novoselic. I enrolled myself into this academy under the title 'Ultimate Princess'. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kirigiri-san!"

"Yeah. Me, too." She asked another question, "Pardon me for asking, but I haven't heard of Novoselic before."

Sonia gasped, "You don't?!"

"Hey, Sonia-san," called Hajime, his ahoge twitching. "Just because she's a hotshot detective doesn't mean she knows about everything."

"Oh, but what about Sherlock Holmes? He knows everything from forensics to history."

"Sonia-san….I think you need a crash course on the fine line between books and reality," he suggested with a weary smile, his ahoge curling slowly. He stood up from his seiza position and hollered, "Yo. You must be Kyoko Kirigiri. I'm Hajime Hinata. It's nice to meet you."

"And I," the pale man stood up dramatically and tugged his scarf with flair, "am the Supreme Overlord of Ice. Do not come near me, however, for I bear a poison within this vessel, "he changed to another pose, "which can kill any who touches it! Hahaha! Fear me! The one called-"

"Hamtaro," Hajime interrupted, mischievously smirking. The 'Hamtaro' closed his eyes, foreshadowing his anger with a solemn face. Then he glared darkly at the ahoge boy.

"I am not this 'Hamtaro' that you speak of! I am Gundham Tanaka, the one who will rule this world with his malevolent powers of darkness!" to which Hajime paid no heed as he continued.

"Basically, he's the Ultimate Breeder. He has a crazy obsession with animals and knows all about them. But, tell me, are you seriously gonna ask a creep like him?" Kyoko took a step backwards as the banter from Tanaka ensued. Hajime kept his lazy gaze away from the breeder, considering it annoying.

BAM BAM

Two hits, one for each, was struck by the fists of Sonia Nevermind. She had an angry yet cute frown as she did so. "Hinata-san, Tanaka-san! How many times do I have to tell you?! Please, make your introductions a bit more proper for our new juniors."

Hajime grunted, not even trying to fight her back. But Gundham took that to offense.

"Hah! Not even the brightest of the stars will be able to comprehend the astral powers which I have attained over the years! In any case, this Kyoko Kirigiri," he glanced at the girl, who had a stoic face, and frowned, "has astral levels of that of a lowborn. No such greeting from the Supreme Overlord is needed for such humans."

" _Uh…excuse me? I know I've faced countless people with strange behaviours, but this is a first,"_ she thought as her expression became that of confusion. She was a bit put off by his extravagant ways to make conversations. Also, what's more surprising is that Hajime and Sonia looked pretty normal about it. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. This was too much to take in.

"Jeez, Tanaka-san. Way to make her feel more dejected than he already is," commented Hajime.

"Do not ridicule me, lazy fool! Your astral levels are that of a weak pig who only presents himself because of his demonic hair!"

"Excuse me?" he eyed him dangerously, his ahoge vibrating and standing straight. He shouted in anger, "I'd like you to say that one more time to my face, geisha boy!"

"How dare you call me such names! Do not make me force the Dark Devas of Destruction upon you, mortal!"

"Chicken!"

"Disposable imbecile!" While they're at it, let's move to the girls' side.

"Um, excuse me, Kirigiri-san," she opened her eyes and turned to Sonia who said with an apologetic face, "I am deeply sorry for having to let you be involved in their usual arguments. I have tried so hard to make them accomplish a proper first impression. Please, have it in your heart to forgive them."

Kyoko couldn't say no, not with Sonia. She was way too kind for her own good and very humble of her to say such words. So much that Kyoko had an urge to just bow in her presence. She truly is the 'Ultimate Princess'.

"… You're too noble for your own good," yet, why was she smiling? "But I guess that's why you're the princess everyone looks up to."

Upon the sight of her curved mouth, Sonia gasped in delight, "I made you smile…. I can't believe it! You really are a good person!"

Kyoko blinked, unsure of what to make of her words. But to hear the words 'good person' struck her as a kind and thoughtful gesture. It was the first time she felt…warm. She covered where her heart is with her gloved hand, her smile bigger and sweeter than before. Perhaps there is benefit in coming to the academy after all.

"Thank you….for your kindness."

* * *

After all was said and done, mainly having to stop Tanaka and Hajime from continuing their fight, they talked a bit more, mostly about their time at the academy. Then, she said her goodbyes and left them as she did before. After such an overwhelming event, she decided to finish the day off as it is. She was already inside the lobby and was heading to the dorm when she noticed Byakuya Togami going to the girl's dorm, looking annoyed.

She called out to him, "Hey, Togami-san! Where are you going?"

The prodigy turned his head and stopped walking after recognizing her. He scowled, "Oh, you again."

"You don't have to talk to me if you never wanted to in the first place. Why are you heading towards the girl's dorm?"

"Hmph, that soldier managed to make a fool out of me when I was talking to that impostor. I came to give her a piece of my mind," he stated. Kyoko found his little revenge plot quite amusing. It's not everyday you get to see Byakuya fall into such state.

She smirked, "What's wrong, Togami-san? Can't handle a little banter now and then? You do know that executing your revenge on her won't solve anything."

"Oh, it will," he answered proudly. He crossed his arms and adjusted his glasses, "After all, a Togami never stands down until he's satisfied."

But Kyoko shook her head, saying, "Okay then. Whatever floats your boat."

"Well then, I'll be going," he said as he went into the girl's dorm to give Mukuro a 'piece of his mind', which will never happen with her. Kyoko chuckled at the thought of Byakuya being the one lectured.

"Hey, Kirigiri-san, hold on for a sec!" a voice told her, making her look back to see Hajime running towards her with a small white box, "Say, have you seen Naegi-san? I got this package sent by a delivery man from outside. He said it's for him."

"A package? What's inside it?" Now, Kyoko had no actual reasons to be suspicious of what's inside it. However, it belongs to Makoto Naegi, so it must be something of interest since he's called the Ultimate Luckster. Hajime shrugged his shoulders, not even bothered about the box.

"Honestly, I really don't know. It's not my place to pry into other people's stuff."

"…Touché. Last I saw him, he was with Fujisaki-san and Chiaki-san at the cafeteria."

Hajime grinned, "Alright, gotcha. Thanks a lot!" He jogged his way to where the cafeteria is. The detective decided to go to her room and take the rest of the day off.

The sun had set. A new tomorrow awaits them.

* * *

Midnight.

A closed pair of windows opened itself, letting the moonlight invade the room of the owner. Then, a figure jumps off the window's ledge and landed on the ground outside. This mysterious person, clad in black hooded clothing, sneakily ran towards the other side of the building. His target?

The biology lab.

He hid under the bushes ad brought his binoculars. He aimed at the lab's windows, five floors above him, and noticed that the lights were on.

" _Damn_ ," he thought. Nonetheless, it's a job that he has to do. Looking left and right, showing no signs of people, he went and stood in front of the school wall. Breahing deeply in and out, he placed his hands on the wall's indentations, adjusting his weight correctly and jumped up with the wall as his platform. With agile speed, he grabbed hold of the wall and climbed up one floor after another. He made sure that he was looking at his next set of ledges to climb over and continued the hiking process. After he made it to the lab windows, he put his back to the wall and stood on the ledge cautiously. He looked down and saw the ground which could be his crime scene should he fall.

Remaining calm, he refocused his efforts to peeking from the sides of the windows to see who is up so late. Stretching his neck forward, he moved his head sideways and glanced around the area. Then, he found the source of the light, a desk lamp.

And the one behind the desk is Yasuke Matsuda.

" _As expected,_ " he inwardly smirked. Thinking that a quick smash and grab will be alarming, he looked around and saw an air vent. He's small enough to make it inside the vent, so he should be able to get inside from there. And so, he sidestepped on the ledge until he was below the closed entrance. He changed his position, letting his front facing the wall itself, and jumped. He grabbed the vent with his iron grip and positioned himself. He took out a small screwdriver and proceeded to open the vent the old-fashioned way.

Looking back at Yasuke, he had papers of interest that came with the package before him, all regarding to his field of research. Most of them were requests for a demonstration of neurological experiments. One, however, piqued his interests – and it came from one of the members of the General Hospitals's board committee,

" _Invent a way to wipe people's memory in a controlled environment_."

The instructions were precise and not written in mistake. Yasuke pondered on what he should do, " _This is a first. What makes him think I can do that?_ " That's not to say that he can't. He can and he will if he wants to. However, the 'controlled environment' got him a bit worried about what the board member will do with such a device.

He mulled over his options. Surely, he thought, there must be a better solution to his request. He could ask the recipient of his reasons for obtaining such information. Though, there often comes a chance that he will play dumb and hide himself to avoid unnecessary suspicion. He must find a way to communicate with him. He has to.

"Damn you, world," he hammered the table with his fist, his teeth gritting, "you always have a way to have them think of all sorts of things. I won't make another weapon of destruction ever again."

"You might not have to." The vent cover above the room was kicked to the ground. Yasuke widened his eyes in shock and looked up. Something fell from the hole, which made contact to the ground and emitted large amounts of smoke from it. After a few seconds, the room was enveloped in limitless amounts of thick smoke. Yasuke coughed after inhaling some, his eyes tearing up a little.

"*cough*cough*…. The emergency button!" he looked to his desk and and felt his way to his desk lamp. Under the base of the lamp was a hidden switch which he immediately pressed. Suddenly, two other air vents opened up and began sucking the smoke. It was moved to the outside atmosphere.

The neurologist hurriedly searched for his phone and found it, "Alright. Jin-san, Jin-san, where's the number? Ah, here!" He dialed the number and waited for a response. It was at that moment which he heard the sound of someone landing. He turned to face the intruder and he made note of the clothes that he wears.

It is a long-sleeved hooded shirt covered by an assault vest. He wears military camouflage pants with sneakers. They're all black. The intruder had his covered and seemed to wear a white hockey mask.

Not long after his observation did he hear the sound of a knife. He then observed where his hands were, which was behind his back. Instinctively, he went to tackle him, but he only felt himself being pulled around thrown back to his desk, grunting, his hips feeling pain from hitting the table. He glared straight at him who leisurely and slowly walked towards him. He also realized that he dropped the phone.

"Well, if Jin's hearing this, he can send security here," he muttered.

But Yasuke was not one to give up. Since the intruder is likely to play a knife game, he intends to attack head-on. He moved his hands to the desk again and found what he needed. Suddenly, the intruder dashed at him, his kukri knife unsheathed and swung at his chest. The defender lashed out at his blade with his own: a military knife, a parting gift from a friend.

Although the blade was smaller than the assailant's, Yasuke managed to at least parry it. The intruder must have been surprised as he took a leap back, his combat position at the ready. Yasuke panted. He didn't expect to use the knife anytime soon. Now, however, it seems he was mistaken. He realized what the academy had been teaching him had been correct. He needs to learn how to protect himself.

"You're quite annoying, Yasuke Matsuda," the voice was muffled, but Yasuke was sure that he heard it from somewhere. However, he couldn't verify it as the intruder dashed again. Using his combat knife, he tirelessly made various successful attempts of blocking and parrying his attacks. However, the more he did it, the more he got tired. It was apparent that he was at his limits when leaned back to his desk, panting in exhaustion. But he's not giving up.

"Raaaagghh!" he knew he was getting tired too, so Yasuke rushed at him again and tackled him to the ground. Once on the ground, he began to try to get the mask off of the assailant, who failed to push him back. "Come on! Let me have a good look at your…..face."

He suddenly got himself off of him, stepping backwards more and more until he hit a wall. The intruder's face was not the problem. Rather, it was something more sinister.

His eyes. They have the looks to kill.

And he's not kidding. Yasuke shivered in fear and he was about to piss. His eyes locked into the burglar's eyes – no, wait. He couldn't do anything but **look** into his eyes. A pair filled with so much lust for blood, he didn't think it possible for a human to be able to emit such aura. The intruder smiled with a killer's sanity, like a psychopath who had achieved his first kill in his career.

"See? I bet you won't remember my pretty little face after this," he grabbed the mask from Yasuke's hands and put it back to where it belongs. His identity secured, he chuckled, "I didn't expect you to get scared so easily. I guess even Hope's Peak seniors aren't ready for assassins yet." He then swiped papers off his desk and left lab through the vent without another word.

After a long pause with him no longer around, Yasuke started to blink and began to realize something, "My letters!"

He quickly went to his desk and scanned it. Thankfully, most of his papers were still there, but there was one missing. Yasuke had a grim face when he realized whose letter the intruder stole.

"Matsuda-kun! Are you there?!" the doors to the lab slammed open, revealing Ginryo Jinkuro.

"I'm…fine, Ginryo-san," he weakly admitted. He sat back on his seat and became still, his eyes fixated on the desk. Ginryo walked to him and asked,

"Hey, you alright?" he asked with a worrying face. "What happened when you couldn't talk to Jin-san just now?"

Yasuke had no idea how to explain it, but he knew one thing. He turned his weary head to show his fearful eyes and said, "I have no idea who it was that attacked me."

* * *

Author's portal:

"Hmm? Hey, Light, what are you doing?" asked Hifumi. Light was busy looking at the views for one of his fanfic.

"Nah, it's just...Pokemon is such a wide community, right? I wonder why my new fic isn't getting that much views from them. I only got 10 so far."

"Ahahaha," he laughed. Light turned and wondered what's so funny, "Don't you get it, Light? It's because of the wide community that makes your fanfic sink!"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"You see," Hifumi explained with a proud expression, "to publish a work, you have to also figure out the timing to put it into the site. Because Pokemon is such a large community, there are other fanfics which are dying to be read. If you time it wrongly, then your fanfic will be engulfed by other fics which may cause it to be its downfall."

"So...what you're saying is that I should publish it at the same time as the others are, right?"

"Exactly. Figure out the time for that and you'll see good results."

Light smiled, "Got it. You're a real helper, Hifumi-san."

Hifumi blushed, "Dawww, you don't need to say that. All you have to do is read my doujinshis and we'll be all set!" He presented his works to Light who was overwhelmed by the numbers of work he had already done.

"Damn...you really are the Ultimate Doujinshi Writer..."

* * *

Author's notes:

Emblem of Light. There, I said it already again.

Not my best work so far. Though, it had been tough because of a few matters on my part. Leave me good criticisms, please.

 **I don't get it. I have fewer reviews in the previous chapter. Is my work that bad that you don't want to review about it?**

I started two other fics to change my pace a bit. It's good for my skill development, anyway.

Yeah, an assassin-like character had appeared. Deal with it.

Kyoko will know about her relationship with Makoto sooner than him. Look forward to that.

 **Later, I'm going to do Pairing Chapters and Life Chapters. Pairing Chapters are, as you know it, pairings. I will tell you later in the next chapters. Life Chapters are the shenanigans they face as students in the academy. Again, more will be informed.**

Don't know how I've done so far with the characters. Do tell me how I'm handling them.

 **Favourite, Follow, Review. Do'em all!**

I'm giving the spotlight to Kyoko because..well, to hell with Makoto for a while.

Yasuke faces a fear unknown to him. What's gonna happen, I wonder?

Next time, Mr and Mrs Senior Part 2. See you then.

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	8. Mr and Mrs Senior Part 2

**ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION**

I deeply apologize for my long absence. No excuse can help me bring back the reputation I once lost. After all, time determines the factor on whether how many of you still appreciate my art.

In any case, my fellow Danganronpa characters aren't here to scold me right now, so I'm free for the moment. On with the chap!

* * *

Chapter 8: Mr and Mrs Senior Part 2

" _Salamence_ _fainted! Pkmn Trainer Mako wins!_ "

"…Wh-What?" Chihiro could not believe it with her own eyes on the screen. She lost. She definitely lost against Makoto. Though, why? She had it on the last bit! Was it because she didn't use her moves properly? Could it be that she apparently miscalculated the pattern of her opponent? In any case, she had lost the round. She hadn't felt like this for quite some time!

But what are the both of them playing? You guessed it: Pokemon, specifically HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Makoto, Chiaki and Chihiro had their little match in the cafeteria during the morning. Other than their Pokemon battle, sizzling sounds of cooked food are being prepared by our famous Teruteru. He plated the food carefully and calmly. Today's breakfast is his special comfort food cuisine. It's actually his regional specialty.

But back to the Pokemon case, "How in the world did your Suicune managed to bring down my bulky Salamence?! I buffed its defence and special defence a lot!" By now, she had let go of the DS on the table, her arms flailing about in distress. Chiaki was smiling sweetly at the girl while Makoto held onto his handheld loosely and grinned.

"Well, where do I need to start first… Which one should I explain, Chiaki-senpai?"

"Hmm," she let a finger touch her chin and pondered, "let's talk about the Pokemon you chose in this match and then we'll go along from there."

And they explained from top to bottom. Chihiro gazed intently at Makoto, hearing everything about his previously successful strategy against the programmer. After that, she slumped back to her seat and muttered angrily to herself. Makoto sweat dropped at the sight of it and decided against cheering her up. In fact, it was Chiaki who patted her shoulder with a smile.

"Ah, don't worry, cousin. Soon you'll…*yawn*…be able to win. I'm sorry, but can I go now? I gotta sleep," without waiting for a reply from her *cousin*, she hung her head down and a bubbled formed out of her mouth immediately. The programmer sighed at her quirks.

"Nanami-chan," she spoke her name. She put her DS into her bag that she brought with her and sat straight on the chair. She smiled, "In any case, you win this round, Naegi-kun. I hope we'll do this again anytime you're free!"

He nodded in affirmation, "Sure, why not? At least I can polish my Pokemon skills better than now."

"Then it's a deal!" She grinned with excitement. "I'm glad I made a friend out of you, Naegi-kun."

Makoto nervously scratched his cheeks and smiled. Although he didn't get why she said that, he was thankful that she thought of him that way. Truthfully, he was glad to have met a soft-hearted girl like Chihiro as well. After all, his previous school years were anything but pleasant.

"So," he looked at the sleeping gamer, "are you gonna wake her up?"

"Nah, I think I'll let her be. She's been like this ever since she took up gaming as a hobby," she explained. "And besides, having a cousin who sleeps often is better than a loudmouth, that's for sure."

"Yeah, I can relate to that," Makoto was reminded of his sister who constantly told him of the many forgotten times which made him go red at the thought of how idiotic he can be. The past is still in the past, he thought, but it doesn't make him feel any better. However, he wouldn't have his sister any other way, either. Just like Chihiro's input, having a loudmouth sister is certainly better than the worse kinds.

..

..

..

"Hey, Fujisaki-san, mind if I make a call for a while?"

"Huh? Oh, of course not," she blinked curiously. Makoto left the table and went to a corner. He took out his flip phone, grey in colour, and dialed a number. He waited for the recipient to call when she answered.

" _Hello?_ "

"Hey, Komaru-chan. It's your brother."

She gasped, " _Big brother, it's great to hear from you again! How are things?_ "

"Everything's good here. How's Mom and Dad?"

" _They're doing fine. Dad's still working at the hotel while Mom's doing the dishes. Wait a minute,"_ she realized something amiss, _"how come you're not asking about me? I mean, you called me, right?_ "

"You? Hehe, nothing's okay with you. I know you're still hung up on the ghost fiction stuff, so I'm pretty sure no guy will ever hit on you."

" _Jerk_ ," he heard the angry huff coming from his sister. He laughed lightly.

"Kidding, kidding… How's my little sister doing?"

" _Well, where can I start from? Ooh, ooh, how about the time I actually barely passed the test?!_ "

"That's an achievement for you?" he pondered out loud.

" _Hey, it's a big deal for me, bro! You know I am so bad at maths these days._ "

Makoto chuckled. If anything's not right, it's Komaru's ability to actually make something happen, "Yeah, I forgot about that. So, tell me about it."

" _Right! When we were told that the maths test will be on that day…._ " And they talked for quite some time. Somehow, their conversation switched from maths to occult and finally to family stuff. He loves his sister a lot. She is the reason why he withstood all those taunts and insults to him back in the day. He told himself that if he should ever fail, he knows that Komaru will be there to pick him up. So, now that he is in Hope's Peak Academy, he wishes to return all of that her help, along with his parents', with one huge success.

That's how he can make it up to them. And he realized that they had been talking for hours.

" _Hey, big brother? Can I hang up? I promised my friends that I'm going to hang out with them later._ "

"You have friends?" he laughed when he heard the pouting sound his sister made. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I gotta go, too. Say him to Mom and Dad for me."

" _Mhm! You be safe there, big brother!_ " she hung up afterwards. Makoto put the phone into his right pocket and walked back to Chiaki's table, the owner just woke up and yawning.

"Hmm? Hey, where did Fujisaki-san go to?" inquired Makoto. Chiaki, who started rubbing her eyes, replied for her.

"Mr. Hirato asked for her to go to the headmaster's office. I think she'll be there for quite a long time."

"I…see" Makoto realized that he must have taken a long time when he talked to his sister. Considering that the gamer looked like she wanted to sleep, or play, some more, he waved at her, "I'll be going then."

"Huh? Oh, okay. Zzzzzzzzz…" She immediately slept after her answer. Makoto walked out of the cafeteria – of course, after picking up a bread from the counter along the way.

* * *

Makoto sat on one of the sofas in the lobby's lounge, eating his chocolate-filled bread quietly. He could hear Hirato picking up phone calls, welcoming them to his services and explaining about whatever the clients are asking. The room is quiet with only two people present – not that Hirato and Makoto disliked the fact.

Ahhhh, the environment is so peaceful and serene. The doors are closed and the tapping sounds of the keyboard occupied the deaf space. Makoto hadn't moved an inch since he ate his bread. He's actually thinking about something.

"Yes, thank you very much, sir. Have a good day," Hirato placed the phone back to its socket. He started writing something on his small notebook. Soon afterwards, it rang again. He picked it up once more. "Hello, this is Hirato speaking. Is there anything I can help you?"

..

"Uh-huh."

..

"Oh….well, yes, he's here."

..

"…That's it? Very well," he hung up without saying goodbye. He got up from his chair and turned to Makoto.

"Excuse me, Naegi-san, but can you do me a favour?"

Makoto turned around, surprised that he was called out, "H-Huh? Yeah, I guess so. But what's this all about?"

"Well, you see, someone has asked for you in the library in the second floor. I strongly advise that you follow his instructions."

"Someone's looking for me?" it's hard to believe that a person, staff or student is looking for him, especially when he's a new student that had just enrolled a few days ago. Several thoughts invaded his brain: Is someone interested in him? Did he accidentally make an enemy out of someone? Or had he become someone's target for pranks? For Makoto, anything's possible since he had experienced all of that in middle school.

Must be hard for him.

Hirato nodded in agreement. Seeing his face, Makoto resigned himself to a worrying sigh as he stood up from the couch, "Alright, I'll go. Where's the library again?"

"Going up the stairs, it should be on the west side."

"Okay, got it. Tell him I'll be coming in a minute." The luckster made his way to the stairs, leaving Hirato to his lonesome. On the way there, he mulled over the thought of coming meeting, " _I gotta be careful around here. From the look on Hirato, he's gotta be one strong guy to make him do what he wants._ "

He jogged up the stairs and made it to the second floor. He happened to pass by Hajime and a pink-haired guy chattering on the sides. Also, he encountered the girls he met at the greenhouse yesterday. He walked past them too, of course. He was close to the library, so he slowed his walk down to see the names on the doors. He found the students' changing rooms and the pool, but past that are two large doors barring the way to the library.

He opened the entrance and was met with an array of books shelved on the large library bookcases. The design of the library was made to look like the modern age with a set of three computers lined up beside a huge marble registry counter on his right side. The tables are numerous in numbers as well as widely distributed throughout the space given on the left. Chairs come in fours for each table. At the far end of the room, Makoto saw what seemed to be an area where dozens of high-tech computers are attached to the walls of the library. The windows are large and provides adequate sunlight for the dimly lit room. These are built on the left wall. The carpets are blue to give a relaxed atmosphere here.

But what's really fascinating is the space between him and the computer area: large – huge, even – bookcases that could possibly have housed every book the world has to offer….sans the illegal stuff. They are wooden in intricate design and are as high as possibly three of himself stacked up. Previous school libraries got nothing on this.

"Wow," was all he could say. His eyes widened in astonishment of what could be Hope's Peak's pride and joy.

"Looking surprised? That's unusual coming from you," Makoto blinked and looked at who was ridiculing him. He widened his eyes for a moment, then shrunk them back to its normal state.

"Oh, it's you. Been a long time."

"Don't 'Oh, it's you' at me! I'm your senior, so you better give some fucking respect!" he, assuming by the voice, accidentally yelled, "I can't believe you made it here in the most prestigious academy to have ever existed. Though, I wouldn't expect any less of you, _Ultimate Luckster_ ." He sneered at the last bit, but Makoto shook his head amusingly.

"Well, I'm surprised you're here. I didn't know they offered small-fries a chance at _the most prestigious academy to have ever existed_."

"You're a small-fry, too, so shut your fucking mouth!"

The angry boy is blonde and short in hairstyle. His height can be compared to that of Chihiro and wears a black fine-tailored suit. He also wears black loafers and a silver wristwatch to finish it off. His blonde eyes glared angrily at the spiky ahoge haired boy. Makoto, in return, smiled warmly at him.

"It's nice to see you haven't changed much, Fuyuhiko-kun."

"What? Is that supposed to a compliment or an insult?" he retorted back with a smirk.

Shall I give you a history of how they met? Very well…

Makoto met Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu two years ago when he stopped by the hotel his dad's managing until now. Since it was the summer holidays, Makoto wanted to help his dad with the hotel maintenance, but the father kindly refused his assistance, saying everything's already taken care of. It was by coincidence – and a blessed one, to boot – that a famed yakuza family hoped to book a week's stay at the place. Then, when the family arrived, Fuyuhiko saw Makoto who was busy playing with his DS in the lobby returned his stare with an awkward one. Technically, that's how they met, but it wasn't long afterwards that the Kuzuryuu family had urgent matters to attend back at their home. They don't want to waste the money spent on the hotel rooms so they asked for Fuyuhiko, his sister and his bodyguard to stay behind. He's pissed at a minimum.

A few moments afterwards, when he went out for a stroll, Makoto bumped into him and caused quite a scene when he was threatened by the blade courtesy of his bodyguard. And so their encounter was not unheard of by the luckster's father who immediately thought of a crazy idea, one which his wife strongly disagreed when they first discussed: Make friends with the yakuza family's heir to help his customer. After that week, they became good friends and occasionally made contact with each other for some time.

Though, what happened in the duration of that time is unknown even to me.

"So, what Ultimate did you become?" asked Makoto. Fuyuhiko snorted at his question.

"Oh come on, it's a no-brainer for you. Take a guess, Makoto-kun."

"He's actually the Ultimate Yakuza," a new voice appeared out of nowhere, though Fuyuhiko realized who it belonged to. He sighed and turned to his back.

"Really, Peko-chan? You really need to stop ruining surprises every now and then."

"Forgive me, young master, but I felt it is rude to a friend you haven't encountered for quite some time. Forgive me if my actions ridiculed you," she explained and apologized.

The girl's most appealing features are her hair and the wrapped item behind her back. Her hair is greyish silver and twin-braided with a red ribbon for each of them. Her eyes are blood red and her skin is undeniably cream coloured. She is a tall young woman wearing a black turquoise schoolgirl uniform with a red ascot tie. Her skirt is short, showing off her black tights with white shoes.

Makoto elicited a yelp of shock, "Gah! Y-You're here, too?!"

The girl formed a puzzled look, having no idea as to why he is so scared of her, "Forgive me for asking, but you seem afraid of me. Have I done something wrong?"

"Oh, no no no no!" he denied it with gusto. "I-It's just that it's a surprise that you're here with Fuyuhiko-kun, that's all! Hahahaha," he nervously laughed in front of them. Kuzuryuu saw what was up.

"Makoto-kun, don't tell me," he smirked knowingly, "you're still afraid as fuck since that incident?"

He yelped in shock again, "No, no, no, no! I'm not afraid of Peko-chan! I mean, it's been a while since we last met and there's also the fact that we haven't met in ages and-"

"Peko, move forward."

"Yes, young master," she walked forward by his orders. Small as they may be, his orders are absolute on her will. But she does not mind it, of course. After all, it is her sole duty to ensure the safety and welfare of her master.

Even at the cost of her life.

Back to Makoto, "Aaaaahhh, s-stay away from me!" He walked backwards furiously to the wall. He shivered in fear and sweated profusely. His eyes widened in shock and nervousness. He was scared as shit. He heard the laughter of his old friend behind her, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Same 'ol Makoto. You never do change."

* * *

A few minutes later

* * *

"First and foremost, I want to officially welcome you to Hope's Peak Academy," Fuyuhiko started. He and Makoto sat on the chairs that were already there while Pekoyama stood by him. It was noon by then and the librarian had just returned from the restroom. Pekoyama had promised the librarian that they will exit the room shortly.

"Yeah, that's pretty much standard," Makoto muttered. The yakuza nodded in agreement.

"Good, then you know that this Academy isn't like any school that you've been through, right?"

"Yup, that's pretty much it," Makoto raised his hands and put them behind his head, "I saw some pretty interesting faces and, believe me, it scared me a bit. Heh, but that's alright. I'm pretty strange too, in a sense."

"You really think so?" replied Fuyuhiko, arching an eyebrow. Makoto blinked in confusion. What could he mean? "Yours was a special case. You couldn't even remember that much back then, but you once told me that it caused you a lot of harm. I say you have the most dangerous conditions to date. But….you don't seem so sad about it."

The luckster smiled at him, his heart touched by his words, "Aww, thanks, Fuyuhiko-kun. I never thought you'd think of me that way."

He scowled, alarming his personal detail, "Tch, don't give me that fucking crap." He crossed his legs over each other and continued, "Not complaining, but the class I'm in is full of shit people. Already a year and I'm not really happy with them at all."

"Why do you think that, Fuyuhiko?" asked Makoto. "I mean, of course people will be a bit distant with you. Doesn't that mean that you have to be the one to get close to them?"

Fuyuhiko gaped his mouth for a reply, but he stopped himself. Instead, he turned his head to the side and grunted in defeat. The luckster chuckled seeing that he had won the argument.

"Well, if that's all that you wanted to whine about, then I'll be on my way," he said in the friendliest manner possible, irritating Fuyuhiko. Makoto rose up from his seat and was about to face the door.

"Wait," he beckoned. Makoto glanced at him who then held a serious face, "There's one more thing I wanted to tell you."

"Huh?" He sat down, bewildered at the change of expression, "Okay, what is about this time?"

"…I want out," he declared softly, reducing noise in the library, "and don't play dumb. You know what I mean."

"Eh?" he muttered. "What are you talking about? Come on, Fuyuhiko-kun. Stop scaring me like that," he offered a nervous smile to him. But the yakuza scowled immediately afterwards.

"Don't start fucking with me, Makoto. Don't tell me you forgot about it? Oh wait, you _can't_ forget it, can you?"

..

..

..

"Sigh….. I still don't get you. Tell you what. Maybe, I'll tell Dad about this and see if he remembers," he replied with an honest attitude. He waved a goodbye as he got back up and exited the library. He left the duo to think about his ending sentence.

"He didn't even say goodbye, let alone even smiling when I said so."

"Perhaps there's a past event that he doesn't want us to know, master. Would you like me to investigate the matter?"

"Why would that be more important than us? We're friends, for fucking out loud!" he growled in irritation, ignoring his guard's question. He also stood up and exited the room, Pekoyama following behind him. Speaking of Pekoyama, she looked at her master's hair very intently. In fact, her eyes seemed to sparkle.

" _Master's hair is…._ " Inwardly squealing, she held on to every ounce of her power to refrain herself from reaching out to touch his hair. Of course, Fuyuhiko did not notice as he gloomed over the fact that Makoto looked different than before.

" _There has to be something that changed him. I just need to know what it is…_ "

* * *

Our favourite luckster had decided to go see other places which he hadn't seen in his self-made tour a day ago. Recently, he caught wind of a garage being developed at the ground floor and it's nearby the gym, though it is separated from the academy itself. Thinking of stopping by, he quickened his pace as he determined his next destination.

"Yo, Naegi-kun!" Makoto turned his head to see a perm-haired biker, yet he didn't slow down. Mondo caught up to him and walked together, "Where're ya goin'?"

"Oh, hi, Mondo-san," he greeted, "I was just heading to this new place that they're building. You know, the garage."

"For real?!" he accidentally yelled with huge eyes. Makoto got scared by the sudden change and leaned away from him. The biker noticed this, so he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Right. Sorry."

"Doesn't matter," he assured Mondo, "but why are you so riled up over the garage?"

"Well, why wouldn't I? A garage is a biker's heaven! You can trick your ride into anything you want and make it the best fucking ride ever!" he spread his arms to show his enthusiasm. "First, there's the wheels that you got to take care of. Then the jacks and shits of all that stuff that make it move and then-"

"Whoa, slow down! I don't have a motorcycle, so it doesn't mean much to me," Makoto scratched his cheeks nervously as he said so. They then moved the conversation to several other things that aren't worth noting in this chapter. Oh, they were talking about their middle school experiences, the friends – or, the lack of them – they've made over the past years. Speaking of past experiences….

"Hey, Naegi-kun. Have you once got into a lot of trouble for something?"

The luckster stopped and turned his whole body at him. Warily staring at him, he asked, "Why do you ask?"

"Hey, I didn't mean it in a bad way!" he raised his arms defensively, claiming innocence behind his words. Suspiciously, Makoto sighed and calmed down. He was getting anxious over nothing.

"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"Well, since you're kind of like a lucky guy, I thought that maybe something unlucky might have happened to you in a big way, so…yeah. Sorry if I brought up something that made you go like that."

"….N-No, it's alright. I just…don't like it when people ask me questions like that. Bad omen, you know? Haha," he laughed it off and continued walking, followed by the Ultimate Biker Gang Member. Mondo smiled and was glad that he didn't take it to heart. Still, he wondered, Makoto acted strangely when he threw that question his way. He just had to wonder: what happened in Makoto's story?

"Hey, we're here," Makoto pointed out. Mondo turned to see a rather medium-sized building with windows opened on the top of the entrance. Speaking of it, it is a metal garage door that is possibly opened via a remote control. That still needs to be determined as the wires are still scattered on the ground beside the door itself. It shows that the garage is indeed not fully constructed if the wires and other electrical parts scattering about are any indications. Plus, some of the walls are half-painted and aren't fully closed up.

"Whelp, this is the garage, huh?" Mondo moved forward with hands in his coat pockets. Makoto hurriedly followed him into the garage. What they saw as the former opened the door was not what they expected to see.

One guy holding the butt cheeks of another.

"Uhh… Wait! Don't think we're weird for a sec!" the standing guy declared. Makoto recognized who he is: the guy who was beside Hajime Hinata once back at the cafeteria incident. He tried to remember his name…..Kazuichi Souda.

But the one squatting behind the mechanic and holding his butt is a hulk of a beast man. He wears a white tank top under his school uniform, as well as blue tracksuit pants and sandals. He has chains around his neck with a whistle hanging in the middle part. Strangely, there's some sort of blue lightning emanating from both of his eyes.

His face says it all: Blank.

"What are you talking about, Souda-kun?" he inquired at him. "This is practically normal! I just need to measure the muscle strengths of your small butt."

"You don't have to SAY THAT OUT LOUD!" he yelled furious at the man, his face red as a tomato. While they were having their argument, both the biker and the luckster stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether to intervene or not. In the end, as if their minds were alike, they slowly crept backwards and left the two to their own…..business.

* * *

When they got back to the dorms, Makoto bid Mondo farewell as the latter walked somewhere else, probably to bug Chihiro. Meanwhile, Makoto decided to head back to his room and stay rested until tomorrow. He walked down the hall where his room resided and found his door. He was just about to open the door to bliss when-

RING RING RING

Hell wanted to say hi for a while.

"Sigh… Hello?"

" _Hey, Makoto-kun! It's me, Sayaka!"_

"M-Maizono-san?" he said, stunned that she called him of all people.

" _Yup, that's me!_ " she giggled. " _Sorry for asking, but can you come by the music room? Kuwata-kun and Mioda-chan are right here with me, so you better hurry up_!"

"Mioda-chan? Hold on, who's Mioda-chan?! And why the music room?! Hello? Hello?!" it turns out that she hung up before he could reply. Eliciting another defeated sigh, he released his grip on the door knob and walked back to the lobby again.

* * *

"And it's just about the music band. Why in the world did I fall for her tricks?" he walked away from the room feeling dejected. All Sayaka wanted was for him to join their band.

" _Come on, it'll be fun! And I'll be there to make sure everything goes A-OK!_ "

" _Yeah, like Maizono-san said! And you joining will make me feel less awkward in the band!_ "

" _Ibuki loves it if you can join the band! We'll make our performance as awesome as ever!_ "

And to make matters worse, they're putting him – that's right, him – to be the lead guitarist for their first future showcase. " _They're debuting with me as the lead? I'm gonna disappoint them so much!_ "

But all of that stress can be dealt with if he could just take a break from today. He used his e-Handbook to wade his way around the academy. Truth be told, he had no plans on doing anything at all for the rest of the day. A surprise welcoming party from his long lost friend was indeed a surprise for the spiky-haired boy. Still, he was glad that he found a senior that he doesn't need to look up to. ( **Pfft…that pun, mate.** )

Which gave him a thought. Hirato still did not know that he had met him.

Makoto descended down the stairs and informed Hirato that he met the yakuza. He nodded and said that he's free to do anything he wants now that that's done. Evidently, Makoto went back to his dorm. He strolled down the hallway, doors left and right, until he found his room. He twisted the doorknob and pushed it forward. He then pushed it back and leaned to the bed.

He sighed in pleasure as he felt the soft fabric underneath his body. He stared straight at the ceiling and reminisced the memories he made in the past few days. Already the first day of school and he got introduced to some very unique individuals: Yasuke Matsuda, Junko Enoshima, Mukuro Ikusaba, Byaku- no, not him. He's a jerk. Next, Hajime Hinata, Nanami Chiaki, Ginryo Jinkuro, Jin Kirigiri…

 _Kyoko_ Kirigiri.

"Hnnnn," he grunted in annoyance. He furrowed his brows frustratingly and turned his body. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it softly, yet it brought him no relief. He looked around to see what he can lay around with. Eventually, he found the same dragon plush toy he brought with him. He reached out for the plushy and held it up high as he laid back down on the bed. His legs touching the floor from the bedside, he looked at the doll intently.

"You seem to know what's up with her. Do you think she's the real Kyoko?" he asked the doll, who remained silent and unresponsive to his demeanor. Makoto heard the door being opened. He forgot to lock it.

"Hey, Naegi-san," said Hajime as he entered the room, "sorry for barging in, but I wanna ask about whether you got free time tomor-"

His eyes met the image of a boy lying down, playing with a dragon toy. His eyes met his afterwards.

..

..

..

"O-kaaaay," he slowly crept backwards and pulled the door, "forget I said anything."

What an embarrassing pose he made. He quickly got up with surprise evident on his face and yelled, "Wait, it's not what it looks like!"

* * *

Midnight, moonless and the only light that was emitted during that time is in the headmaster's office. Inside the room is a trio of veteran students and staffs. Jin sat neatly on his armchair while Ginryo and Yasuke sat on the sofa opposite to him. Between them is a glass tea table with a bunch of paper files on top of it. Jin reached for one of them and opened it. After skimming through its contents, he closed it and looked directly at Yasuke, "And you're sure the only thing he took was a copy of the client's profile?"

He nodded, "That's right. He didn't bother himself with taking the rest of the research papers with him."

"Hmmm," Ginryo stroke his chin, an idea forming in his head, "it sounds like your client is the only thing that the thief is after."

Yasuke turned and nodded again, "Most likely. There can be no other reason. Still, the information in the copy was limited, last I checked. What reasons could he possibly want that for?"

"Tell me, Yasuke-san," Jin started, "What details did the copy show?"

"His name, his position, where he works and the details of his request. Why do you ask?"

" _It doesn't add up,_ " Jin thought. First off, the thief only knows the name of the employer and his position: There is no justified means for him to possibly use this info to his benefit. Secondly, his work address: the thief can use any kind of database and still produce the same results as the one he stole. The only thing that is a mite interesting would be the request details.

His silent mode smartphone vibrates on the table. Everyone looked at it as if it was somehow, just somehow, an answer to whatever is happening at Hope's Peak Academy. Gingerly, Jin picked the phone up and answered it.

"Hello?"

…

..

"Yes, I do know him."

..

..

..

"…What! Dr. Mifune killed himself?!"

With that said, Yasuke and Ginryo rose up in shock. Both their hands clenched and vibrated in the stressful situation. Jin's hand holding the phone trembled. It didn't make any sense at all! Why would he kill himself after sending a request to Hope's Peak Academy? Is there some sort of message that they are supposed to crack from all this?

Or could it be because of the thief?

"I..I see. Thank you."

..

..

..

"Yes, certainly. I will inform Yasuke-san regarding this new information," he hung up and lowered his phone down. He sighed tiringly.

"Jin-san…what's going on?" Yasuke asked inquisitively. "Killing himself after giving me something to do? I thought he's smarter than that! I… I have never failed in delivering a request! You know that! So why? Why did he commit suicide?!"

"That's enough, Yasuke-san!" roared the seeker. "Can't you see that we're all similarly confused? It's times like these that we need to calm down and think of a solution." His words seemed to have hit the neurologist hard who shakily grunted. Ginryo, a rigid expression formed, turned to Jin and said, "So what did he say? What's this info that's shaking your boots?"

The headmaster answered willingly, his elbows on his knees and his head propped up under his hands, "The hospital's asking us to continue Yasuke's research. Says it'll be invaluable that he continues to provide new findings based on the idea itself. Meaning: he doesn't have to send the finished product, but he must provide a log of whatever breakthroughs he finds."

"In which case, they're strapping me to a servant's chain," commented Yasuke angrily. His teeth gritted in frustration and his eyes glared unintentionally at Jin, though he did not mind.

"I know it's unfair. But, for now, play along with them. There will come a chance where we'll be on the receiving end of this situation very soon."

"…. …. …Fine," Yasuked left the room without another word. His angry, haughty steps sounded the hall. Once is subsided, Jin leaned back to his chair and rubbed his forehead. It has always been like this, even before his reign as headmaster. Hope's Peak has been under attack by numerous dealings with several other organizations: some dreadful while others helpful. It doesn't help by the fact that all of them has several different agendas behind their innocent negotiations: a hold on the academy's most powerful assets.

The Ultimates.

"Talk about being hopeful, eh, Jin-san?" Ginyo chuckled. "And here we thought that things will change with the latest batch in hand."

"All in due time, Jinkuro-san," he lamented.

All in due time, indeed.

* * *

Author's notes:

All in due time - Emblem of Light -

Have to say: only the Jin, Yasuke and Ginryo part is what I feel glad about.

That Mioda part: I just don't know how to make her feel Mioda. I need time to study her character.

 **ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!**

 **Life chapters project is now go! What does it mean exactly? Life chapters are filler chapters which detail life at Hope's Peak Academy. Also, the interactions between characters themselves.**

 **What I want from you lovely readers, author or guest, is to give a request for these chapters.**

 **Now, hold it! I know some of you might be eager, but hold your butt cheeks for a moment. Currently, I am only requiring requests at this stage and time ONLY. Therefore, once I've received enough request. I will close this section with a notice chapter. That's how it is, folks!**

 **However, if I do not receive even a single request from you guys until the next chapter, then I'm afraid I've lost all hope for this story. An overstatement, if you panicked about it.**

 **So, yeah. I'll be waiting for you guys to do reviews, favourites and follows. Oh, and the request: either do it in review section or PM me.**

 **..**

 **..**

 **..**

 **... What? You're asking about the Pairing chapters? Screw you. It's too early to make any of those.**

 **In any case, you can use the characters set in this story, or you can try make an OC visitor or something similar like that. I'll be willing to give it a shot, if you let me.**

 **(20/1/2016) Request order closed.**

Okay, now that that's done...

Review, Favourite, Follow. All of them at once. **Please do. I need to know where I went wrong.**

Yup, shit had just hit the fan for Hope's Peak and we get a little more insight on the academy's issues with the public.

Makoto gets the spotlight this chapter. Too bad it's going to be a while until his next POV.

I don't know whether a bulky Dragonite is a good idea. Anyone can answer this woe of mine? _(Update: Changed it to Salamence and wording has been advised. Thanks, Guest Dragonite)_

Okay, next time: requests or story? Until then...

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	9. Life Chapter Notice

We're done…..we've gotten a fair bit already, don't you think?

Whelp, this is going to be a short notice, so I'll say this: Thank you so much for these requests.

Of course this won't be the end of these life chapter ordering, but I'll have you know that I will put up another plea for more of them after I'm done with a few more story chapters.

Right now, I have around….six requests? I think that's more than enough for this time.

Here's what I'm gonna do: I'll divide them into two. So, three chapters for now, three chapters at a later time. This way, I can gauge on where I can stop and continue with the story. Plus, it's more fun to insert a few bits and pieces here and there from the coming story. I just need time.

Okay…..so this is a short notice, right? So, I'll just be on my way…

..

..

..

..

..

..

Tch, do I have to write this? Oh well.

* * *

Request no. 1 by The Unexpected Trial

* * *

Mondo: Ah, fuck no.

Chihiro: Wh-Why not, Oowada-kun?

Mondo: It basically means I have to get yelled at, too. Fuck this shit. I'm out.

Taka: How dare you say that to this good man's good will! Naturally, I will be the first to be called out to do this chapter!

Mondo: (narrows eyes) Which makes me wonder, Bushy Brows. What if it involves a senior?

Taka: Hah! That's…um..that is…uh….

Mondo: Hah! So you _can't_ do that to everyone, can ya? So much for being the Ultimate Hall Monitor, huh?!

* * *

Reuquest no. 2 by LochIshiyama

* * *

Hajime: Is this guy serious?

Chiaki: At least you get some of the spotlight, Hajime-kun.

Souda: Yeah, I should be the one complaining! Why didn't anyone ask for me?!

Chiaki: Because your story will be about a tragic romance where you will never find true love?

 _Souda crawls into the depths of sadness and grief in the corner of the room._

Hajime: Haaaaahhh…this is annoying. Chances are that this life chapter is going to be pretty weird.

* * *

Request no.3 by KudaKo

* * *

Sayaka: Yaaaayyy! We'll be having more screentime! Isn't that great, Kuwata-kun?

Leon: Yeah, this is awesome! At least we'll know more about each other!

Ibuki: Ibuki should write to Emblem! Emblem should make the title like this: Awesome-group-of-people-who-makes-awesome-things-as-a-music-group and many-

Leon:Whoa, whoa, that's too much! It won't fit in!

Sayaka: Unfortunately, Makoto isn't here, since he has something else going on. Look forward to us in the life chapter! (Waves at you)

* * *

Request no. 4 and 5 by fallenstreet01

* * *

Mahiru: Awww, thanks so much. I never knew we're remembered after all this time!

Peko: Even I am surprised by such a request. I offer you my deep gratitude for your love.

Mahiru: (Winks) Well, you don't have to worry, alright? We'll make sure you'll get to see the best out of each of us. Emblem told us that we'll get our own chapters, so isn't that great?!

Peko: (draws her sword) And if he lies, I will make sure that his head will roll.

Light: (Sweat drops) Let's…not be rash here, 'kay? So, two chapters here, alright?

* * *

Request no. 6 by Guest with its name withheld

* * *

Celes: I don't know who you are, but you've given the best idea so far.

Makoto: (rubbing his hands in the form of prayer) please don't let it be too drastic. Make it light and easy for me. Please, don't let me die young! I'll do anything! ANYTHING!

Nagito: My, my Makoto-kun. It seems we'll be having lots of fun together!

Chiaki: I thought you'd tell them that you're insignificant and all that?

Nagito: Of course I would say that! However, today, they have put me with the one of the same title as I! Perhaps his luck may one day throw me off to the pits of hell! I don't need to say things like that if that were to likely happen!

Makoto: Dear God, help me!

* * *

Oh, and by the way, I have other fics to handle as well, so do forgive my lack of attention to your ideas.

Whelp, next time: The Hallmark of Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Title sounds good? Let me know...

( _This notice was published in January 2016_ )

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn**_


	10. 1st Life

Chihiro: Hey, what are those crows doing circling around that corpse?

Makoto: It's not a corpse...it's Light.

Crow: CAW! CAW! CAW!

Light: Uggghhhh...how long was I out?

Makoto: Not long enough for the decaying to start.

Light: Oh, good. It's been so long since I've actually started this thing. I'm really sorry, Trial.

Chihiro: (smiles) I think he'll forgive you. I'm sure he understands how you feel.

Light: Is that so? If he doesn't, your head will roll, she-boy.

Makoto: Light, stop teasing her about murder. You got readers right now.

Light: Oh, right. Thanks.

My deepest apologies for prolonging this update. I feel like an idiot for making you wait. On to the chap!

* * *

1st Life: Hallmark of Kiyotaka Ishimaru

 _Journal entry #101, XX/XX/20XX_

 _This is my first entry since the end of last year. I am most excited and looking forward to my future here in Hope's Peak Academy! However, without a moment's notice, I observed and concluded that the regulations not only within the dorm but the entire academy itself are extremely lacking. I find their school disciplinary measures to be wasted on mere rules which does not even apply to the students themselves! In fact, I can also claim that they are meant for the general staff!_

 _There are not even rules for either curfew or punishment during class. The effort put into the Disciplinary Board is below the charts compared to the other facilities! This new information is incomprehensible and makes the academy seem irresponsible towards their student's welfare and discipline! Someone needs to take the helm of this ship and guide it to the right path once more, and that person shall be me-_

It was at that moment that muffled running footsteps made its way to the ears of our favourite young Moral Compass. Oh, the delicately, sharply disturbing noises it made as it rung inside his brain. Kiyotaka Ishimaru – Taka, as he prefers his friends call him that way – gritted his teeth in agitation as he gripped the pencil in his right hand tightly, halting his progress of writing his entry at such a great time. Note that sarcasm, boys and girls.

He let go of his pencil now rolling on the table, pushed his seat away from the table, stood up and headed towards the door. He opened it and walked outside. He looked to his right and saw a certain ahoge that he knew very well who it belonged to.

"Makoto Naegiiiiii!" he yelled with a furious but short yell, almost commanding in tone yet strict in his pitch. The force of it stunned the boy's movements as he turned with a flabbergasted face, his mouth gaping in fear.

"H-Hi there, Ishimaru-san! I just happen to forgot something so I figured I should hurry up and settle it-"

"That does not exempt you from running down the hallway! Please walk accordingly to refrain from making any irritable noise!"

Makoto's face softened, a look of confusion worn on his face, "O-kaaay?"

"THANK YOU! AND CALL ME TAKA NEXT TIME!" with that, Taka slammed the door shut, leaving the luckster outside. He went to his table and looked at his opened journal.

He sighed. He never realized that the way Hope's Peak works in their academy is entirely different compared to other institutions. Rules and restrictions that you would normally find in schools are not applicable here. Plus, there was one rule regarding the dorm arrangements that made him furious at one point.

" _Sexual interactions are not allowed in the premises of the school. Dorms, however, are fair game_."

Oh, how he actually punched the wall and apologized at it after reading that line was a sight to behold. It was incredulous of the academy board to actually encourage such acts! At least, that's what Taka thought – and he still does. It infuriated him until today. He sighed again, "Maybe I should just start from the bottom."

He closed his journal and packed it under his desk. He starts to get himself ready for class.

* * *

As Taka walked his way to the classroom –steady as if he is a soldier- he….well, found crime to uphold justice onto.

"You! Yes, you! Do not run down the hallway!"

"Excuse me! Please do not read your textbook while walking! You may bump into someone by accident!"

"Naegi-san! Carry Maizono-san's books! She is carrying too much!"

Yeah…welcome to boot camp with Taka.

But enough of that. Taka kept doing what he does best and continued his work as Ultimate Moral Compass. Soon enough, he reached the floor where his classroom is. He took long strides to quicken his pace-

BUMP

He accidentally crashed into someone and fell on his butt. He got himself up and brushed the dust off his bottom and apologized, "Forgive me for interrupting your journey, I-"

But not long after that, he later realized who it was and glared instead. The blonde man only adjusted his glasses and his tie. His eyes stared coldly at the hall monitor as he said, "Thankfully, you've apologized. Good. That should be how it's supposed to be."

"Byakuya Togami," he spoke his name venomously. He always has a thing with prodigies. This one takes the cake. He hates geniuses. He hates those who doesn't work hard for what they're worth. It's no big deal if it was someone who 'earned' the prodigious title and be humble about it. No, no, no, it haaad to be the one guy whose guts is hated by everyone. It just doesn't sit right with Taka, who worked as hard as any hard-working employee.

"Yes?" he asked mockingly. "Is there some sort of a problem?"

"Ahem….no," he coughed and straightened himself. He looked directly at Byakuya and said, "I was just wondering whether I should even apologize in the first place."

"I beg your pardon?" he crossed his arms. "I can't help but notice that tone you're wearing."

"I believe you know what we are talking about at this moment. It's about you," he answered firmly. Byakuya smiled, amused by his answer. It seems he found someone to compete with after all.

"Oh, really? Please, do tell me what makes you so shaken by the fact that I exist today?" he questioned him.

"…. Everything, Togami-san. Everything about you is wrong. I've heard of your ways to climb the top of the family," his eyes glossed over the fact that he wanted to say. "Only a genius is capable of doing such a thing."

"My, my, Ishimaru-san," Byakuya chuckled, "so what if I am a genius? If you know that, why do you even need to tell me? After all, I-"

"It's sickening," he cut him off, surprising him a little bit. Taka blinked his eyes which was then filled with anger, "To think that someone like you can become a genius, I now truly believe that being a genius is a tragic fate. You don't even give your best in anything! No, you just need to snap and everything comes into place!"

He looked at him, Byakuya's face filled with unease and contempt for him, and declared, "It is beneath me to even acknowledge such a despicable title."

" _This fool…this absolutely disgusting worm!_ " he was on the verge of murder afterwards, his fists clenching angrily and his teeth gritting behind his closed mouth. However, he could not contain it anymore as he stepped closer to him and grabbed him by his collar. Taka grunted under the strength of his pull as the prodigy answered him in full force, "Listen, you disgusting cretin! You don't know how-"

"Oi, Oi, what's going on here?" by the sound of his voice, Byakuya immediately let him go and stepped backwards. He crossed his arms and glared at the man in white. Behind him was the man with the Fenrir symbol on the back of his coat. Ginryo walked while picking his nose – repeatedly – and stood between the two glaring individuals.

..

..

..

"Uhhhh, am I missing something here?"

"No, Ginryo-san," Taka answered for both of their sakes, "we were just having a friendly chat."

"Sooo, I take that all the grabbing and shouting are just _manly_ ways to get closer?"

Taka kept quiet and smirked, expecting words coming out from Byakuya who silently cursed at him. Ginryo looked at the prodigy with the need for answer. Feeling their gaze on him, Byakuya reluctantly replied.

"Y-Yes. Just…. _manly_ enough that we don't embarrass ourselves in front of anyone."

Ginryo blinked, not believing the words that just came out of his mouth. However, he covered his mouth and muffled a laugh, "Pfft…"

* * *

They both walked in the classroom, their faces red from embarrassment. They moved at a faster pace, not wanting to see anyone and just sit at their desks – away from each other, at the very least. Back to Taka, he banged his head at the desk, " _Why must Ginryo-san word it like that!?_ "

To put it bluntly,

" _Didn't know you guys had feelings for each other, haahaahahahahah! Oh, good luck with whatever you're having. I won't say a single word about this!_ "

Taka banged his head again, frustrated that he thought of him that way. He will not let Ginryo get away with this. He promised himself that he will clear things up with him and explain the real situation. He has to. And he bet that Byakuya thought of the same thing.

" _I can't believe Ginryo-san would even consider such a thought,_ " he sighed, still in disbelief at what had just transpired. Then, with his head on the table, his ears found the sound of the class door sliding open with two pair of footsteps coming in.

Taka raised his head and saw two familiar individuals: one that made his face soften and the other which made his face harden. Chihiro entered with none other than Owada Mondo, who seems to be close with the programmer for some reason. Taka was about to raise a hand as a show of friendly interaction when Mondo accidentally kicked the table beside him. The gang leader pulled his injured leg upwards and yelled, "Fuck!"

DING DING DING! Taka enters Monitor Mode…

"Excuse me, Mondo-san!" he called him out, earning an annoyed glare.

"Oh great. What the hell do you want?" he asked as he rubbed his sore foot. Chihiro, of course, knew what was about to happen. She walked in between them and pleaded,

"Guys, come on! You always do this every time you meet each other. Can't you just forget about this for now?"

"I will if he can just stop using vulgar words in the school premises. His profound use of it exceeds the amount of times a student is allowed to get away with it, if the academy actually implements it!" Taka gritted his teeth afterwards.

"Well then," he dropped his foot down, "if the board's not going to do anything about this, then shouldn't you stop being a fucking jerk and let me say what I want?"

"I will not!" he stated. "Although the academy will not make any action towards you, Mondo-san, it is up to me to ensure that you will be disciplined as a student of this institution."

"Ah jeez, Bushy Brow, can't you just loosen up for fuck's sake? Nobody gives a shit about what you just said!" he argued loudly, earning stares from the rest of the class. They were placed at the centre of everyone's attention as they continued their fight.

"Think about it, ya fuckin' idiot! Even I got surprised when they invited me – ME, of all people – to enter this school. They know my track record and all the shit I've done way before you know about me! They're not stupid to lock me away just for some curse or something like that."

"Mondo-san!" he pointed a finger at him. "You have no right to speak on behalf of the academy board committee! They must have another reason other than to let you, a gang leader, be a student here! I cannot accept that you are given the choice to actually be inducted into this academy!" now, what he just said was really beyond what is limited for him, so people started murmuring in question of the Hall Monitor's use of words…and abuse of authority.

And Mondo? Well, you see, "Now you're just fucking with me." He cracked his knuckles in anticipation of a brawl with the so-called hall monitor. Taka, despite the pleas erupting from his self-consciousness, was also preparing himself by gripping his knuckles very tightly and hardening them. Two glaring pairs of eyes were in a face-off as Chihiro's efforts went unanswered.

"I know very well that I will never say that same word in my life," declared Taka.

"You little….," Mondo pulled a fist and launched it towards the disciplined man's left cheek. However, a brown blur passed by and made immediate contact with his attack. Going in with a right hook, the brown blur, recognized as the luckster, got thrown away as a result of the hook.

Chihiro gasped, "Naegi-kun!"

"Ah, fuck!" yelped Mondo as he stepped back and faced the luckster. Taka widened his eyes as he realized who saved him. He turned to the boy.

"Naegi-san!" but he did not budge an inch. Meanwhile, Mondo and Chihiro rushed to his aid, picking him up halfway and letting him get to his senses. Makoto groaned in pain and his eyes fluttered open. Chihiro sighed while Mondo kept making sure that he's alright.

"Hey, Naegi. You okay, dude? I'm sorry for hitting you again."

"Y-Yeah…sort of. I was just entering the classroom when all of a sudden a round object came flying straight at me. I did see you guys and tried to get past to my table," he smiled weakly, making Mondo feel guilty.

"How could you hurt Naegi-san again?! Do you realize that your own anger made this same act one more time?" he accused. Who would dare say such things other than Taka? The hall monitor had a stern face as he said it. Mondo, on the other hand, turned the other way to avoid his stare and he muttered curses to himself.

" _Finally, he realized it_ ," he thought as the students swarmed in to help, do something or complain about the situation. Taka gave a relieving sigh, yet he didn't feel good about it. Was he on the wrong as well? Looking back at Mondo, a pang in his heart suddenly formed.

"Ishimaru-san," a soft yet stern-voiced girl called his name out. He turned and saw the soldier, Mukuro Ikusaba, staring straight at him. He pointed to himself as if he was really being called at which she nodded in return. Confirmed, Taka headed towards her as she moved to the side with much less noise.

* * *

"Owwwwwww!" a strong yelp of pain elicited from his mouth. Why, you ask? He cringed in pain as Mukuro had not yet finished pulling his ear tightly, strongly, dangerously…mercilessly. After a while, the Ultimate Soldier released her hold on his source of hearing.

Taka had to admit: she's someone with a mean hold when wants to.

"You're an idiot, Ishimaru-san," she sighed disappointingly. Offended, Taka glared at the nonchalant girl. Mukuro was unaffected by his strict gaze. After all, she spent her whole life under the leadership of several of the most impossible generals, special ops leaders and commandos who only the strongest of willpower can keep up with. A little stare by a strict, normal man would do her no harm on her self-esteem.

"What makes you say that, Ikusaba-san? Surely, What I have been doing is in accordance to-"

"And that's why you're an idiot for thinking you can get away with just that. Don't you ever think of the consequences behind your own accusations?" she held her hips with a strict tone. Taka, for the first time, flinched. "A person will feel guilty when he realizes that what he did was wrong. Yes, that's normal. However," she poked a finger at Taka's chest repeatedly, "That doesn't mean you can just go out there and tell everyone about what the guilty did. It's wrong."

"How is it wrong?" he asked genuinely. Mukuro stared at him, stunned by his question.

"How is it…of course it's wrong!"

"I'm sorry, Ikusaba-san, but you are the only one to tell me differently than the rest. Back in my own middle school," and he began his little story of his middle school. From top to bottom, bottom to top, Mukuro listened intently, her arms crossing. When he finished, Mukuro' eyes were wide open.

"Wait….no one batted an eye when you did all of that?"

He nodded, "Yes that is true. Though I really do appreciate if they give me some sort of feedback on my performance as a hall monitor, the students never seemed to care much about it. Hence, that is why I often tell people off more than I am expected to. It did seem like they didn't mind my method of approach. That also includes my friends in the disciplinary committee."

"How can you stand them," she clenched her fists hard. She would always receive some feedback on her performance, where she could improve or what went wrong with her technique. As a soldier, she was required to do so and still is, in fact. The fact that Taka's so-called friends did not even bother to rectify him or advise him certain matters show that they aren't friends at all! "How can your friends be so distant from you?!"

She believed it to be the reason why Taka acted this way. Taka had no one to tell him what to do. He thought what he did was right, just and responsible. It wasn't and he doesn't know. He's like a king with no loyal subjects to advise him, reprimand him for his mistakes and comfort him. He was all alone-

Just like a genius would be like.

"Excuse me?" Taka scratched the back of his head. "They are my friends. They don't have to be close to be called friends, right?"

"Ishimaru-san," she softened her eyes, "friends don't let friends hurt other people's feelings, just how you did with Mondo-san. They could have stopped you from uselessly telling people off, but they didn't. Doesn't that say something about your relationship with them?"

Take carefully took her words by heart. Really? Did they really do that to him? He thought of them as his companions and trusted partners especially in the disciplinary committee of his middle school. Was it all just a sham so that he would not disturb them? Taka furrowed, understanding the implications behind the soldier's words.

"I…I see," he hung his head in shame. No words came out of him. Just that he inwardly lamented the truth that should have been obvious to notice. He felt foolish and betrayed: foolish to think that he had done amazingly as a monitor and betrayed by the committee he worked so hard for-

Just like how his grandfather used to face.

"Listen, Ishimaru-san. Why don't you loosen up and forget about this for a while?" suggested Mukuro. She doesn't despise him. No, it's because that he is so unbearable that she must somehow help regain his senses. Going around barking who's right and wrong will not help him in the long run. "Live your life as a student. Get yourself together without being the Ultimate Moral Compass."

"Forgive me, Ikusaba-san, but I cannot do so. I have to do my best in this, no matter the cost," declared Taka, his eyes renewed with vigor. Mukuro was a bit taken aback by his sudden revival of spirit. "I didn't know that I was being so ridiculed by my own classmates back then. I now know that I was, in fact, truly alone. With no one to advise me or help me deal with people my age, I cannot fathom how annoying I must have been." He looked down at his hands, raising them up to chest level.

"I seriously doubt that I'll be able to 'loosen' up. I mean, I became the Ultimate Moral Compass for a reason! I am the most stubborn hall monitor anyone could find," he smirked knowingly, happily thinking of the many reasons he could have joined Hope's Peak for. He lowered his arms and looked at Mukuro. His gaze was steely and passionate at the same time, "Thank you for your concern, Ikusaba-san. But I'm afraid that being the hall monitor is the sole duty which I bestowed upon myself. I can't let it die on me! Besides-

This is so I won't be like _him_ later on." He muttered on that last part. Mukuro cocked her head curiously sideways, almost aware of the sudden muttering he made.

And the school bell rang. Class is in session.

Everyone returned to their respective seats. The English teacher, a woman in her thirties with a bun hairstyle with a red beautiful hairpin attachment, walked in with a folder in hand. She dropped the folder onto the desk and crossed her arms. She wore a happy expression and appeared to be delighted to see her students.

"Hello, everyone! I suppose you don't know me, correct?" Everyone nodded. She then opened the contents of her folder and scanned the entire thing. She closed it back. She walked around her desk and throughout the classroom slowly, ignoring the awkward stares from her students. The sound of her black high heels clicking and clacking filled the soundless space. She returned to the teacher's desk, arms on the table and a huge grin on her face.

"Bet you thought I'm using my so-called Ultimate, right? Unfortunately, I'm not. In fact," she winked, "I don't even have an Ultimate Title!"

"Huh?!"

"What?"

"Impossible! How!?"

"This is news…."

"Now, now, take it easy. First off, my name is….oh, wait. Why don't I let you figure out? For now, just call me Missy! Got it?" murmurs became louder after she gave an obscure introduction of herself. The happy teacher clapped her hands thrice and announced, "Alrighty, kids! Time to learn English!"

"WHAT?!" was what most of them yelled accidentally. They groaned.

* * *

"But you gotta admit: Miss Missy's got some really nice curves!"

"Pervert!"

"Ow! Maizono-san, why'd you have to hit me in the head? Hey, Maizono-san!"

"Kuwata-san, just…..just go after her," Makoto advised him with a sympathetic face, making Leon wonder how bad did he make Sayaka angry. Regardless, he went off in a sprint to catch up with the eye candy idol.

"Hey, Maizono-san! Wait up! W-Wait, what are you going to do with that thick book? Bullshit! I didn't see that book in your bag just now! Oh, shit, I'm sorry for going through your bag! Really, I do! Aiiiieeee!" Makoto could hear the thumping sounds of two people running across the hallway outside the classroom. He sighed, thinking it was a normal routine. Every time class is finished for the day, Leon will say the stupidest things that will make our idol mad. She goes out, Leon follows and…well, you just saw the finishing touch of it.

"Oh, wait," he opened his notebook and skimmed through it all. He noticed something in the lesson that boggled his mind for a while. "Right, then. I'll go to the teacher's office and end the day."

He packed his stuff and pushed his chair into its original position. He jogged to the door and opened it-

"Halt right there, Naegi-san!"

As if his luck can really help him get away with this. Makoto turned in fear and nervousness.

"I-Ishimaru-san! I mean, Taka-san! I swear, I didn't run or anything yet."

"I'll forget the fact you said 'yet'. Anyways," he walked to Makoto, "could it be that per chance you are going to the teacher's office?"

"Ummm…yeah. Is there a problem?"

"Of course there is, Naegi-san!" Makoto flinched at his yelling. He peeked his eyes sideways to see if anyone's watching. Byakuya paid no mind as he gathered his belongings. Kyoko was sitting quietly, not minding the hassle as she wrote something on her small purple notepad. Aoi and Sakura were too busy conversing over something that got the swimmer so excited.

"It's how you dress yourself, naturally," Taka said in a more advising tone.

Makoto faced him with a stunned look, "Huh?'

"It's your clothes! You must look presentable when you are meeting with a teacher," he adjusted the wrinked on the luckster's sweater and zipped the ends of it to the top. "You won't get much attention if you happen to wear your own clothes sloppily. First impressions are always important. Also, do not slouch when facing the teacher."

"Uhh," at least he looked fit. I mean, the sweater did make him look slim and nice, so he guessed Taka was doing the right thing…for once. "Umm….thanks, I guess. Gee, Taka-san, I never realized you can be the caring type at times."

"Really, now?" he smiled at the compliment. "Then I suppose I should show this side of me more often."

"Yeah, you should! People have been taking you the wrong way," he suggested. "I'm sure they'll see you in a different light if-"

"Aren't you supposed to be heading somewhere?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Thanks, by the way! I'll see you soon!" Makoto left Taka and exited the classroom, leaving him to think on his words.

That's right. There's one thing that middle school taught him. It taught him proper conduct and first impression. Even though, at first, he was not accepted by his peers, he studied their ways and learnt their etiquette. Then, he enforced his own will into a powerful outward presence which made him.

How to set himself to be the best perso- scratch that, best hard-working student there is. He wanted to show everyone that it does not take a genius to tell that. Forget the fact that everyone reprimands him in Hope's Peak for being so strict. Even he knows that there are times where he's not so strict. So long as that inborn caring attitude remains within him, he definitely believes that he can go on as Ultimate Moral Compass. He smiled from ear to ear.

From a distance, Mukuro eyed him, curiously analyzing his movements.

* * *

"You fuckin' dumbass! Why'd you go and say that to my sister?!"

"Well, excuse me for not noticing the hideous resemblance between you two! How am I supposed to know she's your younger sister? She definitely looks like the older type, though."

"You…bitch!"

Now, what happened here? Well, here we have two shorties: one male, one female. One very rude, one abusively rude. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu and Hiyoko Saionji. Yakuza brat and dancer brat.

Normal day at Hope's Peak Academy with these two around.

"Great," he face palmed, "just great. Soon, I'm going to be the laughing material for the next family meeting."

Hiyoko snickered, "Oh? I thought you already are one. Oh, wait, you didn't meet the height standards." Ouch. The short yakuza beamed a death glare locked onto the twin-tailed dancer who giggled sinisterly at her own joke.

"Oh, ha-ha-ha," he gave a mocking laugh at her attempt. "You think you're so smart that you just outsmarted me? Lemme tell you something, you filthy little bitch. I-"

"You two! Stop what you're yelling about!" a strenuous yell ordered them. They turned their heads to see a certain figure walking rigidly towards them. "Fighting and yelling about will not help you with your problems. You must work together to make it work!"

"Oh, yeah?" Hiyoko retorted. "What makes you think you're all high and mighty to tell us what to do, stupid? Run along and leave us alone."

"I cannot!" Taka made his stand against her. "As a once disciplinary committee member, I am committed to my duty to stop unnecessary behaviour and instill good ones. That said, I will not let you get away with this."

"Oh, great. Another Mahiru, huh?" Fuyuhiko rolled his eyes, annoyed by Taka's presence. His comment went unheard as Taka lectured them non-stop. At one point, Fuyuhiko thought of asking Peko to just kill him already. Speaking of the skilled swordswoman, where is she anyways?

"And to top it off, kids should never be left alone in places like this! Even though you are Ultimate students, you must not be alone in the hallway either way!"

..

..

..

"The fuck did you just say?" he muttered. He raised his head with a furious pair eyes directed at the now bluntly confused bushy-browed student. Hiyoko looked at Taka with disgusted eyes.

"Can you believe this idiot? He thinks he's all so great and disciplined that he thought he could just call us kids," strangely, Taka thought, both of their demeanours suddenly changed after his previous sentence. Yet, he still did not figure out what caused it until the yakuza spelt it out for him.

"Don't you get it? You just called your own seniors 'kids'."

Taka's mind clicked, his expression going from stern to frantic and muttered nonsense. Immediately he straightened himself like a soldier would in front of his superiors. "M-My deepest apologies, seniors! Had I known that you are a class above me, I wouldn't regard you that way."

"Well, you just did, right?!" Fuyuhiko almost yelled. "I can't believe that a junior like you have the nerve to just call me a 'kid'. That's just fucking great! You have NO idea how it feels to be on the receiving end of it!"

"I am extremely sorry, senior! I-" he was cut off when something cool and metallic reached the skin of his neck. He whimpered fearfully as he glanced at the pale hand holding the small dagger.

"Forgive me, young master. I was distracted for a moment. Now, about this student who angered you."

"Do whatever you want with him," Fuyuhiko coldly replied. "I don't care as long as it gets him to shut up."

"As you will."

"W-Wait just a moment, miss! I can explain!" the pressure applied on the blade projected her answer as she intently did so. Even when Taka tried to reason with her, she wouldn't listen.

Her master's orders are absolute.

"I guess even seniors are just as idiotic as him," a new voice suddenly said. Everyone looked to where the voice came from, revealing a very stoic Mukuro. She walked briskly to Taka and pulled Peko's arm away from him. Taka moved forward and coughed whilst holding his neck for dear life.

Mukuro glanced at the two petite Ultimates, their stares less than friendly. She then locked gazes with the swordswoman who had already sheathed the knife back to whatever she hid inside her clothes.

"Who are you?" she asked with a harsh voice.

"Mukuro Ikusaba, Ultimate Soldier of the 78th Class. To whom am I speaking to?"

"Peko Pekoyama….that is all you need to know of me," she made hand gesture pointing at Fuyuhiko who had crossed his arms beforehand. "This is the young master: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Ultimate Yakuza of Hope's Peak Academy. You must treat him as such. And the brat behind him is Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Traditional Dancer."

"Hey, who are you calling a brat, bitch?!"

"Well, her use of words speak otherwise, Pekoyama-senpai," Mukuro retorted, tilting her head low just a bit to shadow her eyes. She did notice the death glare belonging to the 'brat'.

"Heh," Fuyuhiko spoke, "you think you're smart, now, don't you? Just because you're military doesn't mean you're any different than us. Look at yourself, for once. It's hard to believe that you actually served our country when you have no scars to prove it!"

"That is not for you to say, little yakuza," ever so quietly, she moved her right hand to a small knife's holster under her skirt on the right side. She unlatched it and said, "But what you just said was a challenge to my reputation. Would you like to be the first to try my skills?"

"Young master!" she rushed to his front and stood prepared whilst glaring at her master's would-be killer.

Mukuro had enough of people questioning her skills, actually. Heck, Junko once did so and got herself thrashed mercilessly by her. She does not like nitpicky people and she would actually kill if she was given the chance to do so. Why? Well, why wouldn't you be if you are mentally-

"That's enough, Ikusaba-san!" a shout from Taka got her back to her senses and made her turn to him.

"Ishimaru-san," she whispered. Taka walked past her and confronted the trio. However, instead of his usual actions, he bowed ninety degrees down as a gesture of apology.

"Again, I apologize for not being aware of your status, Kuzuryuu-senpai, Saionji-senpai, Pekoyama-senpai! Words cannot describe my hatred towards my blunt approach with you. Please forgive me! Also, please forgive my classmate, Ikusaba-san!"

Mukuro, stunned by his attempt, was suddenly pulled in by Taka and bowed the same way he did. After a few more apologies, Mukuro tried to look up to see them. Coincidentally, she saw a rather strange expression on not Peko nor Saionji's expressions. It was Fuyuhiko's.

There's a strange look in his eyes. Like he enjoyed something out of Taka's action just now.

"Young master?" Peko called out to him worryingly. The master shook his head and straightened himself, his face now serious with no strange looks anymore.

"W-Well, I guess I'll let you off. Can't be good if the teachers know about this."

"Heheheh, get called 'senpai' and you get all mushy and that. This is why, Pekoyama, you should really leave him alone."

"Sh-Shut up, Saionji!" he yelled furiously, a blush present on his face. Peko smiled at him.

"I suppose that since they have already said sorry, do you think we should be heading our own way, young master?" she suggested.

"Yes, I guess so. Besides, I have better things to do that to argue with a brat," he smiled mockingly at the furious dancer who decided to give him the middle finger. "Insult me however you like. It's not going to change anything."

"Well, screw you, piece of shit!" Fuyuhiko laughed at her and left the scene along with his protection. Soon after, Hiyoko gave a mocking snort at the bowing students and ran off to who knows where. Mukuro stood up and pushed Taka lightly to tell him that they're gon. He stood up as well.

"Well, that went well, it seems," he smiled at the end result of his numerous apologies.

Mukuro looked at him in confusion, "You're a funny one, you know that?"

"Eh?" he turned with a blank face. "What do you mean?"

"Apologising just like that….you do realize you just survived the wrath of a yakuza of all people?"

"Ah," came out of his mouth. First, he cupped his chin thoughtfully and answered, "Because there was unjust in that fight."

"What?" she stared blankly at him.

"There will always be people being treated unfairly. Unfortunately, most of us are strong enough to avoid sympathizing with them and enjoy their luxurious lifestyles like usual. However," he frowned, "even I cannot fathom at the ridiculous reasons that these same high-class people often fight about."

Mukuro could sense the rage coming from him. He continued, "And especially the ones everyone call 'geniuses'. _Despicable_. They would flaunt their own talents and people would come in flocks to depend on them. In the end, when they do make an actual mistake, they will always be remembered for just that. In a sense, being a genius is just….pitiful. Like you're supposed to be perfect regardless of whether you have made a single ounce of effort on whatever matter you-"

"Ahem. Ishimaru-san," she coughed for attention. "You're going off-track."

"Ah, yes. Please forgive me," he sheepishly grinned. "What I'm trying to say is….even geniuses fight among each other, so it's no surprise that Kuzuryuu-senpai and Saionji-senpai, both respective in their own league, would actually make such petty arguments."

He stopped to give thought about his next sentence, "And friends, junior or senior, can help them remember that we're all comrades surviving on each other."

"Friends, huh," the soldier muttered. It's as if the word itself brought her some intense memories back to light. "It seems I thought of you wrongly, Ishimaru-san. I'm sorry for accusing you of being an idiot. It seems that helped you with your journey all the way here. I guess it's each to their own way of solving."

"Thank you, Ikusaba-san!" he thanked her happily. Mukuro smiled at his enthusiasm. Taka then looked at the windows and noticed something.

"Hey, look at that!" he pointed at the orang light emanating from the sun. "The sun's setting down."

Following his gaze, she indeed saw a sunset. They both watched the spectacular view together for a time. Meanwhile, Mukuro thought about Taka's ideals. " _They seemed so childish, but I think that's what all of us needs._ "

"Amazing, isn't it?" commented the moral compass. "And judging from the sun's descent, it's getting late. I will have to go now, Ikusaba-san." He turned to Mukuro and said, "I hope we'll still be friends after this and help each other along the way!"

"You…consider me a friend?"

"Of course! Goodbye now!" he walked away from the soldier to leave her behind.

The Ultimate soldier stood as she always did, a smile slowly forming on her lips. Whispering, she echoed, "Friend….friend….friend…."

And it did not go unheard by her sister who crept up slowly behind her.

"Hmmm? Mukuro-chan, I didn't know you were seeing someone!" the cheeky smile from Junko radiated the atmosphere. She poked an elbow on Mukuro's back, "Girl, you should've told me that you have a thing for a guy! I can set you up with Bushy Brows if you like!"

Unbeknownst to her cheery self, a dark aura suddenly enveloped her other twin sister. She turned slowly, making sure her face darkened and glared devilishly at the fashion girl. For a moment, time froze for Junko. The next moment, she screamed out of fear and pain as Mukuro pulled her left ear with the intention to rip it off her head.

"Kyaaaahhh! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SOOOOORRYYYYY!"

Junko, oh, Junko. She never gets away with anything from her sister, does she?

* * *

 _Journal entry #102, XX/XX/20XX_

 _Today has been quite a day! Of course, there was still unwritten rules being broken here and there. I find myself actually enjoying the classes along with everyone else. Thankfully, the teachers have a bit more sense other than Ginryo-san. I still can't believe there was one time where he mistook my fight with Togami-san._

… _I still view him as a genius. He will never understand the meaning of hard work. All he had was served in a silver platter. He will never know the rewards of his own efforts unless he experienced it himself._

He wrote several other things such as complaining about the academy's lack of rules – again - and how he advised his good friend, Makoto Naegi, on certain etiquettes when meeting a teacher. However, that was not the best part of his day….

 _I am thankful of this person for helping me do my job right. Her name is Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier. Out of all the students here, I find her to be the most relatable in terms of my ideals. I think….yes, I think she is a good friend to have._

 _In fact, she is the first female friend I ever had to make._

* * *

Author's notes:

Emblem of Light...

I have no clue on whether I did a good job on this. Please do tell me.

I am extremely sorry for making you wait. Loads of stuff happened on this side of the world and some of it ain't good.

According to my count, I got two more life chaps to go before i continue the story's plot. The other three will be done at a later time.

By the way, should I delete the announcement I did weeks ago?

I wanted to do Taka stopping people and preventing something from happening. You know, make him like a hero and all that stuff. That... and make him look like an idiot as he did his job as Ultimate Moral Compass.

But where's the fun in that? Let's put some history and a potential female partner in the mix.

 **Unexpected Trial, I hope this chapter satisfies you. Should I fail to do so, You may punish me in the way Junko was punished in Chapter 3, the author's portal.**

I also wanted to look from his perspective of Byakuya and Hope's Peak itself.

Also, Taka...is sort of like me. I guess the problem when I wrote this chap was when I was trying to seperate my own experiences from his.

I apologize...so much...for making you wait.

Follow, Favourite, Review. Do all of them.

 **Next time: will we see Hajime Hinata in all of his glory? Or will he kick someone's ass? Until then...**

 _ **Learn as you live, live as you learn.**_


	11. 2nd Life

Hajime: Give me one good reason why my chapter came out so late. (Cracks knuckles)

Light: My apologies. Once I entered a university course, the assignments were hurled straight at me. BE grateful you're not the receiving end of the exchange.

Hajime: Like I care. Now, hurry up. I'm itching for a story.

Light: I know, I know. Cue apologies..

Terrible apologies for delaying this for...months. Procrastination's a thing for writers.

LochIshiyama, I'm sorry. I wanted to stay true to your idea, but it had to be transitioned with one of the chapters from the past. I just had to. Also, I have not mastered the art of eccentric characters for the story, so my apologies if the characters don't feel like what they are supposed to be as. This has been quite a chapter to write about. Took me forever to figure out each person's speech patterns and such.

Honestly, this dragged for too long.

I actually don't know whether I've done a good job, really.

But never mind that. On to the chapter...

* * *

2nd Life: The Average Ahoge Day

(Now, don't mistake my intentions. I'm not ridiculing Hajime or anything. I just made him as he is right now. He may be aggressive, but that's all there is…right?)

Morning. Oh, the crisp burning emotion of annoyance filled his mind.

He forgot that there was still one more day before Saturday: Friday. He hoped to waste the day with sleeping and laying on his bed for no reason. He at least deserved that much after getting the scare of his life during Survival class with Ginryo. Finally, he thought before, he could rest his bones for at least a small amount of time-

But no. Friday was there to give a load of dump at him.

And the windows were crashed into by a blur of pink, purple and black colours. It was Ibuki Mioda with her fantastical entrance to Hajime's room wh then cheerfully announced, "Hey ho, Ibuki is here!"

" _3….2…1…._ "

"Ibuki wants to ask you to join the band since we have new members to start playing with! Let's go-"

She got kicked out of the room. Literally.

"Out," he closed the door and crashed onto his bed, not caring if there were classes that day. Suddenly, the alarm clock rang woefully in the room. Grunting, he covered his ears with his pillow, proving futile. Cursing under his breath, he got up from bed and smashed the button on the table clock. He stomped his way to the bathroom to clean himself.

And it wasn't long afterwards that he wore his usual clothes: a white shirt with a necktie to go with it. Although he hated classes, he thought that at least there is Nanami to keep him company. Reluctantly, he opened the door slightly, peeking out to see if the guitarist is still outside. She wasn't.

Slowly, he exited the room and walked down the hallway. Hajime is not the type to tweak his plans to situations which forced him to do so. You can imagine how furious he is right now, but he tries to keep his anger in check. Several times had he vented out on his friends and it caused him quite a lot of trouble.

"It just haaaad to be Friday," he lamented.

"Yo, Hajime!" and the last person he wanted to see was his Survival subject teacher, Ginryo. He turned around to see him waving coolly at him. With a big grin, he mocked, "Nice hairstyle. You got that done while sleeping?"

Even though it was merely a slight jab at his title, Hajime's intent burnt with the idea of mauling him down. Without a moment to let by, he delivered a right hook aimed at his hips. Ginryo swayed to the right and avoided the attack. The ahoge student then linked it with a swift but controlled left turning kick to counter his dodge. As he expected, Ginryo jumped back in response.

He had a frantic look on his face, "Woah, woah! Isn't that going beyond the rules we set?! No fighting in the academy. That's what the academy said, right?"

"In dorms, it's everyone's GAME!" he rushed to his adversary and went for a drop kick to the stomach. He begrudgingly felt his heels being held onto and swung upwards, " _Oh shit…_ "

"TIIIIMBEEEEEERRRR!" the tracker slammed his body down to the ground, damaging the wooden floor greatly. Dust accumulated from the slam as Ginryo coughed after inhaling some of it. His eyes were watery as a result. "Damn it! They should really get better floors for the dorm. It's bad for my lungs! Happens every time…"

Hajime's face comically firmly planted itself to the floor. Any man would not be durable enough to withstand a swing to the ground like that. But Hinata was no ordinary man: he pushed himself up and groaned painfully. Unknowingly to Ginryo, Hajime gave a rising kick to the…well….a man's pride.

The scream was sorrowfully painful in nature.

"Oh God, the pain! The paaiiiiiiiin!" he moaned as he held onto it for dear life. Hajime, panting as he got up, smile at the teacher's demise.

"Gotcha there, didn't I?"

"Well, you didn't have to go that far! A man's pride is every bit as fragile as a woman's heart. No one dares to break a lady's heart!"

"You're every bit as bad as Forte-sensei," he momentarily expressed annoyance at him which was replaced with a neutral face. He asked, "Well, Ginryo-san. What's the matter? I'm pretty sure you didn't want to see me just to get hit on the sweet spot."

Ginryo glared angrily at his unintended joke. "Har har, very funny." He regained composure and stood normally, "Actually, there *is* a reason as to why I want to see you today."

"And?"

"Because I want to tell you that you're in charge of the class while I'm gone."

"Same old tricks, Ginryo?" he sighed. This was not the first time Ginryo had asked Hajime to be in charge. More often than not, his relationship with the headmaster caused him to go places and meetings. He is one of the most important figures considering how long he has been here at Hope's Peak Academy. Hajime understood, but he was not sure whether the rest would feel the same. "You should explain to the rest of the class instead of me."

"You think so? I thought you're more than capable of handling that part of the deal," Ginryo scratched his nose cheekily. "After all, that's why we put you in _that_ class."

"You're an asshole, Teach. Are you aware of that?"

"Only the best there is!" he replied joyfully, earning a mocking stare from the Ultimate Ahoge.

The class of 77th. Since its birth, various unique students flocked about and created what it is today: a class of elites. Although class 78th and the classes above it have promising talents, it is this class that took the cream of the crop. Nobility, influence, practicality, capability: 77th has it all. Add the fact that their skills were nurtured for the past year and you will find it to be the greatest talents ever formed together.

And Hajime's stuck with being the Ultimate Ahoge.

"Listen, Hajime," he spoke with a serious tone, "I'm pretty sure you'ree still not comfortable with the class due to your…um…status. But that doesn't mean you're not weak in terms of talent."

Hajime scoffed. He heard that a thousand times already, "Like I care."

"Hey, don't be like that," suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up from his coat pocket and answered, "Yeah?"

" _Mukuro-san is already here. You might want to hurry up, Ginryo-san,_ " it was the headmaster. " _She's late for class._ "

"Oh, crap! Just give me a minute!" he hung up before Jin and put the cellphone back. Hajime looked at him curiously.

"Who was that?"

"It's Jin. Look, it's about the attack on Yasuke Matsuda. You remember him, don't you? That's why I have to leave it to you."

"Matsuda-san?' he wondered out loud. There was an attack on one of the Hope's Peak students?! He never thought anyone was so bravely stupid enough to even intrude on Hope's Peak's ground. Still, he thought, that may mean that there will be more work for the academy staff. He sighed, totally getting what that could mean. "Looks like you're going to be on a week-off, then."

"Thanks for understanding!" he grinned. "I knew you were smart from the start."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Teach. It never does."

"True," Ginryo scratched his chin thoughtfully, "but it never hurts to make someone feel better, am I right?"

Hajime gave him a long stare before giving him a one-sided smile, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Now go on already. You face is starting to irritate me."

"Much obliged! See ya!" he waved a goodbye as he went into a full sprint heading towards the headmaster's room.

Hajime went on his way to his own destination, all the while muttering things relating to how today is going to be a bore.

* * *

As if one confrontation isn't enough, four hamsters attacked his face in the hallway.

"What the hell?! Get your furry butts off of me!" he tried his best to get the critters away, but to no avail. Their claws hooked itself onto his skin, deepening the pain. His patience was already running thin as seconds passed.

"The devas! Return to me immediately," in quick motion, the hamsters jumped from his face to the floor and scurried off to whoever called. Hajime rubbed his face furiously, not liking their aggressive affection one bit.

"Damn hamsters. I assume they're yours, Tanaka-san?"

"And does that make you fear the devas even more, dark essence?" questioned Gundham. Hajime stared directly at the hamsters he was holding in his arms. Granted, he feared that those same critters might rip his hair apart: it's the symbol of his Ultimate, after all. However…

"They can go to hell where they really belong, for all I care," he scoffed, "that includes you, too."

"Hmph! Only a mortal as heinous as you would not accept the devas as their deities. It is because of you and your ilk that the world's astral presence is imbalanced."

"I haven't got the slightest idea of what you're trying to say. Never tried to understand you, either," his ahoge twitched twice in affirmation to his claims. The hamsters chirped angrily at his words, causing Tanaka to pat them on their heads.

"Rest easy. I will ensure that he pays for his undoing."

"Don't give me that crap," he interrupted, "I haven't done anything bad to them. Heck, even walking beside them already makes them sound the room like crazy!"

Tanaka glared at him, "Silence, mortal! Your astral presence disturbs their meditation. Truthfully, you are a thorn at their side, if not the rest of the Academy!"

Tanaka made a very crucial mistake. Hajime is not the tolerant one you know in the games. In this story, after a year since he joined here, the only friends he had were those who did not cause his anger in the first confrontation. Mahiru's shots of him, Fuyuhiko's cold gaze and Hiyoko's dirty words are a few examples of it. Tanaka and Sonia, however, are a different case. They neither confronted him directly nor vice versa, but that did not mean Hajime was their friend.

He was seen as an anomaly – one which was quite unique. He never tried to make conversations with others. First time he was here, he just sat and absorbed everything the subject asks him to do. He's a student with a goal in mind, but no one was quite sure what it is. Nanami and Kazuichi, however, may have something in mind regarding it.

But when you've been with Hajime for a year, learning about his personality and attitude to things around him, you will know one thing-

No one should tell him to get out of the academy. This is his only chance to redeem himself.

And Gundham failed to understand that, prioritizing only his hamsters. And so, he did not see the flying fist that was delivered by Hajime straight to his left cheek.

"Oof!" he flung sideways, nearly hitting the wall. His hamsters scurried away from their owner and hid somewhere around the corner. Gundham rose from the ground and assumed a stance. He glared at the now stern Hajime who seemed to be upset about him.

"You crossed the line, Tanaka. I'm not ready to take those words normally," he cracked his knuckles and glared at him back. His fists moved to the front of his face: the stance of a professional boxer. "You know, I've been training for these sorts of fights."

"You dare challenge the Dark Lord in his own game?! You will sully your own ilk in doing so."

"Har har, faggot. Now get ready!" with those final words, Hajime dashed towards the breeder and yelled courageously. Gundham braced himself and grunted as the Ultimate Ahoge closed in.

"STOP! STOP IT, YOU TWO!" the scream of a girl filled with worry and angst stopped the attacker from doing anything else. Gundham stared at his stoic face, taunting him to do anything else. Hajime shadowed his face and smirked.

"….Oh, piss off," instead of a right jab, he relaxed his hands and swiftly moved around Gundham to where his back was. He hooked his arms around the breeder's waist and carried him up.

"Ack! Unhand me, mortal!" but Hajime refused. Instead, he swung the breeder around multiple times, earning a wailing sound from the victim, and eventually threw him straight at the would-be girl.

Gundham thumped on the ground hard as he let out a painful moan. His hamsters rushed to his head and nuzzled at him to cheer him up. Gundham looked up to see a rather angry face of a renowned princess. Her eyes frowned as she shifted them to the would-be boxer.

"Oh crap," Hajime muttered, seeing as her eyes blazed.

* * *

"Honestly, you two. Can you not be any more uncivilized than this? We are already seniors of the Academy and you two are very lucky that no one from the juniors saw your petty little fight!" scolded Sonia. Hajime flinched just a bit whilst Gundham remained stoic. Both of them were put in a seiza position facing the stern princess. But she did not mean bad about them. Rather, she was disappointed that they are still at it again, only this time with much more intensity. Frankly, even you viewers would be most disappointed if your friends happen to fight a year since you all met.

But does Hajime consider her as one?

"Why do I have to sit down? It's not like I have to, right?" complained Hajime.

"You are always in the wrong, mortal," replied Tanaka, "considering how you assaulted the Dark Lord without hesitation."

"That's enough, you two!" they both flinched under her shout. Sonia took a deep breath afterwards and calmed herself down. She exhaled the air and gave a worried expression, "It saddens me that you are still being so antagonistic towards others, Hinata-san. I thought being in the Academy for a year changed you for good?"

"Note to self; one year's not enough," he replied. His ahoge twitched twice to his response just like before.

"And you, Tanaka-san?" she looked at Gundham who was already getting up, refusing to sit in such a humiliating pose.

He crossed his arms, his pets climbing past his coat and onto his shoulder, "Yes?"

"Have you no shame in mocking him?! I thought you better."

"Hah!" he put on a showy stance, "as if he would do anything to harm the great Gundham Tanaka! I am the Dark Lord that will soon rule the world! What hope would he hold that his attacks would do anything against me?!"

"That's not what matters here, Tanaka-san! We need to act like seniors would and work together. Like I said, our juniors are going to look up to us. It is wrong of us to keep being the people we were before. At least, that's what I believe to be true."

" _And you have every right to put that belief into action,_ " Hajiem thought. He then heard running steps getting louder and louder. He looked down the hallway and found his two friends, Nanami and Kazuichi, arriving just in time to get him out of this mess.

"Hajime! Oh, Miss Sonia!" the former name rolled his eyes at his sudden change of attitude. It was Nanami instead who got him up from the seiza position.

"Thanks. I didn't know I was going to get a lecture from Sonia-san today."

"Don't mention it. And please, stop coming to class late all the time."

He chuckled, "Heh, I'll try."

"Oh, come on, Miss Sonia. I promise you we're gonna have so much fun together!"

"No, no, and no, Souda-san. I have already decided not to spend time with you today."

He groaned, seemingly defeated. Hajime looked on in pity for him. However, it was replaced with annoyance when Kazuichi brightened up and said, "Then that's fine! I'll just find another way to enter you heart, Miss Sonia. Just you wait!"

"Why do you insist on getting her hand out of love, mortal fool?" questioned the 'Dark Lord'. It was replied with a glare from the mechanic who bore a deep hatred towards the breeder ever since Gundham caught the interest of Sonia. In any case, Gundham glanced towards Hajime who was observing the scene, "Oh? It seems you are still standing shamelessly."

"Tanaka-san!" Sonia pleaded for him to stop. Hajime began to move forward and faced him.

"Look. I know that punching you was wrong in the first place. Can we just move on already?"

"….," he didn't want to stop, but his words rung true. If he continues, they may leave with more than broken pride. "Very well. I will give mercy upon you and spare you from my dark powers. Know that this will be the last time that you will plunge to your own death."

"As if that would happen," he retorted. Gundham laughed and went to the opposite direction, his laughter echoing throughout the hall.

"Then," Sonia gave a light bow and waved, "I will be taking my leave as well. See you in class!"

She rushed off following Gundham's trail which left the trio standing idly by. Kazuichi looked at Hajime and smiled, "Should we go, too?"

He shrugged, "I guess there's no point in waiting any longer. Let's go."

* * *

When our protagonist opened the door to their class, every day, he expected it to be dull and mundane. Boring and normal. Just the way he likes it. Unfortunately-

"Oh, you wanna fight?! Bring it on!"

"The hell are you talking about, you bitch? Get the fuck away from me! I haven't done anything to you!"

"Guys, please, let's calm down and explain what's going on. Brawling just for the sake of it won't do much for you, Owari-san. Besides, I can tell you that Kuzuryuu-san did not do anything at all. It's Saionji-san that you should worry about," a pudgy man in white restrained the athlete down. Akane Owari, Ultimate Athlete, relented and ceased struggling, allowing the impostor to let go safely.

And as the scene continues, Hajiem slipped past unnoticed along with the mechanic and the gamer. They sat on their seats except for Hajime who only put his belongings on the desk.

There are currently a lot of people, Hajime thought to himself, which are present in the room. Gaining their attention proved him to be very difficult to manage. He felt relieved there was only one class for today: Forte was busy handling work for the juniors whilst the English Teacher was invited to a session with the reserve students. That last bit made him regret ever thinking on it. He needs to snap out of it and focus on the matters at hand.

" _I would try to get everyone's attention by myself, but then that's just a hassle,_ " Hajiem retreated to where Byakuya was and poked his shoulder. Byakuya, who had settled the problem between Fuyuhiko, Akane and Hiyoko, turned around and smiled at the boy. He nodded in acknowledgement of his presence to which was replied with same gesture. Hajime started, "I know we don't talk much, but can you please call the rest of the class?"

"Ginryo's at it again, isn't he?" the impostor crossed his arms and shook his head. "That man…I always wonder what goes on the Ultimate Seeker's mind. It's hard to know someone who barely came for the subject. It's improbable that he will keep his position forever."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry to interrupt, but can you hurry up with the favour?" Hajime cut him off as politely as he could without passing any sort of negativity towards him. Byakuya understood the delay and called the students to him.

"Attention everyone! There's an announcement that will be delivered by Hajime Hinata. It's very important that you listen to him for now!" and called them he did. From the Ultimate Yakuza to the Ultimate Luckster (to which Hajime ignored), all of them surrounded where Byakuya and he were at. Even Nanami and Kazuichi crowded with the other students as they earnestly listened to Hajime.

Byakuya Togami- no, Byakuya Twogami, Ultimate Impostor –had become the most trusted man they can rely on for the past year. For as long as Hajime could remember, when they believed he was the heir of the Togami family, Byakuya wanted to try and fit in with the others in this form, but failed to do so. But things changed mid-year when Mahiru, the first to reach out, welcomed him with open arms. He was deemed to be leader-like and compassionate to others ever since then.

Hajime, despite his disinterest in making a friend out of him, is glad to have made an acquaintance out of him.

"Alright, Hinata, spill it out already," ordered Hiyoko rudely, "I haven't got time for you anyway. You better make it quick too."

"It's not like I wanted your attention in the first place. I want to get this done, too, so shut up," as always, Hajime's colourful words were used against her. Though she felt insulted, she clamped her mouth to avoid saying anything repulsive towards the ahoge student. He then turned to the others and started.

"I got a message from Ginryo. He won't be attending for Survival class today," he heard murmurs of disappointment and anger but continued nonetheless. "He also told me that, so long as he's not around, I'm in charge. So you can do whatever the fuck you want while I sit back and relax. Deal?"

"I have an objection to this matter!"

" _Oh, great. The shaman breeder wants to talk now,_ " lamented Hajime. Gundham came forward and, with a look closer to a frown, he argued.

"I dislike this chain of command which our educator is trying create. It is unfitting to have you lead us in times where he is not around. I refuse to accept you as our de facto leader!"

"Geez, where'd you learn all of those words? I told you guys already: I won't be literally be in-charge since I'll be lazing around like usual. So long as you don't mess up, I won't do anything at all."

"Does it matter?" Fuyuhiko was the next to speak up. "It's not like this never happened before. But every time he couldn't be around, he seems to rely on you a lot. Doesn't that make you think whether he's trying to turn you into something? Like, I don't know, a shitty excuse of a monitor which he can control?"

"As if I never realized," he replied with a blank look, "I wouldn't think twice about taking some position. I'm a nobody here. Why would they want me, aside from people like you, to be wrapped around their fingers? It doesn't make any sense!"

"He's right," interrupted by an apple-haired girl, Hajime looked at Mahiru who continued in his defense, "it's not right to suspect others when we haven't gotten any evidence supporting this claim. I often pass him in the lobby and he never struck as the suspicious type. Probably, he was just the easiest to talk to than the rest of us."

"Grrrr, I want to say something, but I have to agree with Mahiru-chan, too," Hiyoko agreed, surprising Hajime. Inwardly, he was touched for a moment, but later realized it was probably because of Mahiru's sisterly influence over her. How ironic, he thought, that he usually dismissed their relationship as annoying and loud in nature.

"Ahem! I think we should all let Hajime be in charge! I believe that he won't give anyone trouble." A hulking man with lightning coming out of his eyes spoke out loud. Nekomaru Nidai, Ultimate Manager, is a very influential person- that is, when he sets his mind onto something. At other times, he would just hang out with Akane and spar or bring some boys for a jog in either the morning or evening. Once, he attempted to invite, or rather forcefully imply, Hajime to join him in his sessions. Naturally, he rejected every last plea until no more was done by the huge manager.

"Yeah! What he said!" shouted Akane to which some agree with a nod. Fuyuhiko watched the scene before him and sighed in defeat. Gundham remained silent as he tugged at his scarf, gaining interest in covering his pale mouth. Hajime smirked and shook his head in amusement.

"Alright, everyone," Byakuya spoke, "like Hinata-san mentioned, you can do your usual stuff. We won't interfere."

"Yeah, besides," interrupted Hajime, his ahoge twitching, "all that matters is you do your business and I do mine. I'm only in-charge as in title. That's all."

And so, everyone roceeded to do just that. Hajime and the gang moved over to their seats, leaving Byakuya with an eccentric Ibuki Mioda.

* * *

Thank God for just one class. Hajime's mind swirled to the myriad things he can do now that school time is over. That's what's great about Hope's Peak: the freedom you gain from their facilities is limitless.

Unfortunately, this is still an average day for Hajime-

And the door opened just as the bells rang for the ending of class.

Behind it, a familiar man with familiar flip flops entered the room, his eyes scouring among the students. The latter part froze as Yasuke walked into the classroom. It is not every day that Yasuke Matsuda, claimed to be one of the contributors to Hope's Peak Academy, came around to say hi – which is probably not the reason why he visited them.

"I'm looking for Hajime Hinata. I'd like to ask him a favour, so does anyone know where he is?"

"Yo! I'm over here," Hajime hollered at him with a wave of a hand from his seat. Yasuke nodded and came to him. Hajime stared at Yasuke and vice versa. Yasukes began to speak.

"Ginryo said you're the best at cleaning stuff."

"That old man would say anything to get me to work."

Yasuke snorted in amusement, "Well, you're not wrong there. So, can you help me? He also said that you're better at field work than in classwork."

"…," he never really liked getting asked to do stuff for others. He just wanted to remain like a good little boy who knows his place in the Ultimate world. Getting asked for favour by them isn't the way he thought them to be. Or was that Ginryo's intention in the first place?

"How about I say no?" his answer brought a twitch to Yasuke's eyebrow, most likely to have prompted to him to feel rather annoyed.

"Oi, that's no good," he warned.

"Doesn't matter, Matsuda-san. Now, buzz off," he waved him off rudely. Now, Yasuke has no patience for his attitude. He quickly gripped the boy's hand tightly out of anger, earning a bored look from him.

"Please don't tell me you're trying to downgrade me and make me feel depressed and all that shit. I'm not a main character of some dumb ninja manga."

"Hinata-san, please address Matsuda-senpai with a bit more respect," like a blade cutting through air, Peko swiftly advised him which earned her a boring stare from him.

"Knock it off, Pekoyama. Advice doesn't suit you."

"And that pathetic expression doesn't suit you either, dumbass," retorted her master. The boy, with his two eyes looking at him angrily, continued, "Show a little respect, why don'tcha? I don't know why the hell Matsuda-senpai would want you out of everyone here who are much more capable than you, but even I wouldn't reject his offer."

"Ha!" Hajime smirked arrogantly, "So even the short yakuza bows down to those above him. Who would've thought?"

"Don't change the subject, fuckboy! I-"

"Kuzuryuu-san, that's enough!" Mahiru went in front of him and obstructed his view. He growled in response to it but said nothing. The Ultimate Photographer turned around to face the Ultimate Ahoge and glared at him. "Hinata-san, wipe that smirk off your face! That is no way for you to treat your classmates like that!"

"Hey, hey, I didn't come here to watch all of you guys arguing," reminded Yasuke but they kept bickering over his words. Still, he couldn't help but feel amused by it. It certainly seemed more exciting than the manga he read the other day.

"Hinata-san, just go ahead already!"

"I said I won't, so I won't! End of story!"

"You can't just leave him hanging with only that. What's your problem?!"

"What's my problem? The problem is all of you shitheads trying to force me to do things I never wanted to do! You guys have something, at least. I have NOTHING!"

"That doesn't mean-"

"Doesn't mean what?!" he cut her off, flinching her in the process. "All you do is talk a load of shit on what's right or what's wrong. Acting like you're the hero everyone needs doesn't do your own self justice, you know that?"

"Hey, that was going too far!" Saionji yelled. Oh boy, Yasuke thought. Things started to heat up from then. At that moment, Yasuke saw from the corner of his eye Fuyuhiko walking steadfast towards the yapping student. He raised an arm and thrusted towards him.

"Oof!" Hajime uttered. His abdomen was punched thoroughly by the yakuza which made him crouch down and attempted to lessen the pain.

"There….. ya happy?" he asked, anger welling up inside him judging from the tone he wore. "Now, why don't you just shut up and do what you're told to do? I'm already sick of you bickering like this red-haired bitch."

He turned around with a scowl on his face. Walking back to his bodyguard, he heard subtle movements behind him. Wondering if he's already up, he turned around-

To find a hand gripping on his face tightly.

"The fuck!?" he saw the demonic eyes of the teen he previously struck.

And everything went to hell from then on.

* * *

"Do you know the saying, Matsuda-senpai?"

"Hm?"

"That 'what comes around, goes around'?"

"Yeah….why?"

"I just brought it to the next level."

"Hence, why you're stuck with me. Cleaning the lab. Without any of your friends. At all."

Hajime sighed, lamenting that fact. After that little scuffle he got himself into, he was immediately penalized and ordered by his teacher, from afar, to cooperate with the neurologist. He was not given a choice and was dragged away to the lab to do some clean-up – a huge one, that is.

But can he blame the others? Nah, he couldn't. He wouldn't.

The lab, as if a herd of rhinos stampeded through here, was a mess from the start of the venture into it. Hajime had to cover his nose and mouth from the accumulated dust which were dying to invade his nostrils. After a moment to air the room out, here he was, trying his best to sweep the floor of the smaller, sharper debris of wooden furniture.

Yasuke moved the final desk to the nearby wall. Satisfied, he went to get a mop from the storage room, leaving the distraught student all alone, cleaning up as usual.

"And now I'm alone. Again. With no one to talk to. At all."

Of course, he wouldn't mind the silence whilst doing his work. He had, at many times, secluded himself to his room, either doing his classwork or anything other than academics peacefully. His drifting thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a hurling mop hitting him squarely at the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"Quit sweeping already. Mop that part of the floor." Grumbling like a kid being told to do things he dislike, he begrudgingly picked up the mop lying on the ground.

"Where's the bucket?"

"Here," he handed the bucket to him who swiped it off of him rudely. Yasuke's brows furrowed; it is a recurring feature of his when he is annoyed. Be that as it may, he brought his own mop and and thrusted it into the water-filled bucket. Hajime followed suit and the floor was splashed with water all over.

"Say, kouhai," he called out to him; it is a word used to address someone younger than him. Hajime responded.

"Yeah?"

"I thought we already addressed the fact that no fights are allowed for your sake?"

"…shut up, okay? Things didn't go the way I planned." His ahoge bounced softly.

"And you let all of your anger out on a helpless girl who was trying to help you."

"How do you categorize being upset with my decision as 'helpful?"

Yasuke chuckled, amusing himself with Hajime's negative answers. "Oh Hajime. It's already been a year since you joined in. Nothing's changed, huh?"

"You bet your ass it didn't…..not yet, anyway."

"Hm?" his response intrigued Yasuke. It had been a first for Hajime to hope for something to happen. A first since….that day.

"By the way, how the hell did this whole place look like a tornado just passed by?"

"Intruder. Fighting. Messy."

"Uh…huh," he looked around him curiously and continued back to work. Yasuke followed suit whilst Hajime's answer occupied him for a moment.

" _Not yet….hmm, this is progress._ " Yasuke mused.

" _One year,_ " on the other hand, Hajime lamented, " _it took that long and shit's still hasn't changed._ "

What a day it has been for our average student.

"We're gonna be moving some new equipment shortly. I hope your arm strength is still good."

"Hey, I've trained for these guns. Don't worry about me," Hajime stopped wiping the floor to wipe the sweat off his brow for a while. Yasuke hummed in approval.

"That's good. Also, Hajime.."

"Hm?"

The Ultimate Neurologist retreated to the door, the mop carried over his shoulder. he turned and faced the boy, "Get close with your classmates. Even wolves need companions to form an assault on their prey."

"Go away, senpai. No one wants you here," and he left indeed. Hajime continued mopping the floor, Yasuke's advice lingering in his mind not for the reasons of sagely wisdom. Rather,

" _Wolves...as in the same way you guys captured me from before?_ "

* * *

Author's notes:

Emblem of Light...is back from the dead.

I wanted to bring this chapter up for so long. I am so sorry! I just want to cry right now! Waaaaaaaaaahhhh!

...Ahem...well, now that that's over with..

I really had a busy whilst I was writing this chapter. I intended to finish this as early as next week since the previous update. Then things happened for a reason.

Nonetheless, I am a bit uncomfortable with how this had turned out. Maybe it's because I haven't gotten any reviews regarding my work since forever. Hope your reviews will work wonders.

Favourite, Follow, Review. DO all of them.

And Hajime's a bastard, isn't he? not much of the characters have been showing their true colours yet, so keep tabs on that.

Right. Next time...Makoto and the band's first hangout!...Until then...


	12. 3rd Life

**Masked Assailant: This has gone way overdue, bruh.**

 **Light: I KNOW! I KNOW, ALRIGHT! PLEASE GIMME A BREAK. I KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE! I DON'T LIKE MAKING PEOPLE WAIT!**

 **Masked Assailant: And that's supposed to help the readers...how?**

 **Light: SCREW YOU, TOO, MASKY!**

 **Masked Assailant: Sigh... You might as well give them what they want now.**

 **Makoto: Hey, Light! We're ready for the act!**

 **Light: SHUT UP! I'LL BE THERE IN A SEC!**

 **Makoto: Uh...Okay. What's with him?**

 **Masked Assailant: He feels the pressure's on him. But don't worry. He'll pull through.**

 **Light: YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I WILL!**

 **SO HERE IT IS, READERS! YOU'RE FAVOURITE STORY'S BACK!**

* * *

Life 3: Awesome-group-of-people-who-makes-awesome-metal-rock-things-as-a-music-group-and-many-more-like-hangouts-and-fun! (And then some)

When Life gives you lemons, you make lemonade! That's pretty much the gist of what I will present to you today: the chapter of a young band's moment. For now, let's shift our view from the wondrous view of the city from the top of the Academy and walk our way to a room any band is familiar with. Within this room, you can hear the loud sounds coming from an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar. A melody difficult to combine together, both instruments collided against one another in a chaotic tune.

"No, no, no! This is not beautiful at all! Stop!" a French accent sounding man called for a quick end to their performance. Leon Kuwata, Sayaka Maizono, Ibuki Mioda, and unfortunately, Makoto Naegi listened to their tutor's instructions, obviously aware of what went wrong.

Was it because of the choice of song? The singer, perhaps? No, there wasn't supposed to have anyone sing today. Heck, even Sayaka was given the metal triangular instrument just because.

No; it's because the key parts of their song, the electric guitar and the acoustic version of it, were nowhere near pleasant to the ears. The tunes were off and the rhythm was not in sync. Of course, given that it's Makoto and Ibuki we're talking about, we shouldn't be surprised. Ibuki plays the electric and Makoto performing with the remaining instrument.

"This is not what I want! You've ruined the perfect combination of instruments!" the man who cried in despair afterwards is, in fact, Japanese. Half-Japanese.

Allow me to introduce our newest character: Forte Beaute. He wears a very fancy blue full-on tuxedo and a black bowtie to top it off. His golden hair flows fabulously as he either walks in certain areas or the spotlight shines on him. He is of the caliber that screams 'Elegance'. Well….that is as far as looks can go. As I blabber about his features, Forte raised his baton and tapped on the music stand to gather their attention.

"Now then….from the top. And a one and a two and.." he swung his baton to cue the music and most of the instruments started paying in sync. Most of them. He cringed as a tune fell out of the music, his face contorting into despair. "NOOOOOO!"

His wail put the music to a halt, his students staring at him confusingly. Ibuki, on the other hand, ignored him soon and attempted to adjust her guitar. Forte shook his head and sighed. He turned to Makoto who fidgeted under his gaze, his grip on the fingerboard – the neck of the guitar – tightened. Forte claimed, "Makoto Naegi. I'm afraid your performance is the most lackluster of them all."

"H-Huh?" he replied shakily. He knew he didn't do so well, but hearing those words straight from his teacher's mouth did not make it any easier for him. Still, he thought it didn't hurt to ask, "Why do you think I'm the worst out of all of us?"

"First, do not claim you are the worst. A musician must think positive for his music to flow with harmony," he answered, "and second, I can see you are not giving your best at all! What happened, mon élevé?" he asked with concern. Makoto only looked down at the strings of his preferred instrument. A little practice will make him better, he thought, but he never knew that syncing three instruments at once will prove to be a challenge.

"Maybe I'm just no good from the start," he replied grimly.

At least for him, anyway.

"Hey, cheer up, Makoto-kun!" a happy idol comforted him with words. "Practice makes perfect! I didn't become famous through miracles only."

"That's right, my lovely flower of Japan!" Forte swiftly went to her and knelt. He took her hand as if he is proposing, "Your words are magnifique and surely what Monsieur Naegi needs! Oh, how the sun glows on your face and when you said those words, my complexion shines in sync with your beauty!"

"Uhhh, that's probably because of the lighting," she nervously pointed out.

"Ahhh, the sound of your voice is perfect to my ears! Un beau son! Très bien!" he kept complimenting her, ignoring the weird stare from Makoto and the somewhat furious glare of Leon. Ibuki was still adjusting.

"If only you are working as an idol rather than a student. Surely, I can teach you the important things in the showbiz industry. The… _choses passionnantes_ ," he wagged his eyebrows seductively, suggesting something a bit more perverse. Sayaka leaned backwards, already getting the idea of what he meant. She sweat dropped at his brave move towards her.

"Riiiight…"

"Hey, Forte-sensei!" Leon called abruptly. Forte turned to meet the baseball player's rather annoyed expression. He quivered in fear as he stood up and walked away from the idol.

"Eeek! Wh-what is it?" Forte may be bold in flirting with younger women, but he is a chicken at heart. Never will he defend a woman over even small mishaps or damages. He even let women protect him if they are capable. He is that much of a coward. Unfortunately, that did not stop him from being a pedophile pervert.

"I…I…," Leon shook his head, getting his bearings together from his annoyance at Forte's move, "if Naegi-san can't play his best with the guitar, then it doesn't make sense for him to play it anymore, right? So why didn't you tell us beforehand?"

"Because he looks good with it," Forte blatantly replied. Makoto blinked, confused at his reply.

The blonde teacher extended his hand to Makoto, asking for the guitar to be given to him. He handed the instrument to him and allowed him to explain. "His hands are perfect for it. When I look at him, I see the posture of a great player!" His smile beamed towards the group.

"I don't know about that, Sensei. I mean, listen to this," Makoto tried to pluck a few strings with the guitar, "and that's all I can do. You can't expect me to suddenly form a melody with these hands, y'know." He ended with a frown, clearly displeased with his state.

Forte clicked his tongue thrice. "Dear oh dear… that is no attitude of a musician! Here, Mioda-chan; the guitar, please."

"Huh?! OK!" she gave the stringed instrument to Forte who thanked her happily, which was strange of him compared to the time he was - how Makoto should say - 'seductively' grateful for her words of wisdom. Ibuki, as she is Ibuki, returned to her seat with a jolly jog.

Gracefully, Forte spun with the electric guitar, stepping over the string that connects to the instrument's base to make sure he did not tangle himself in doing so. His hair flowed with the wind and when he stopped, he flicked a few strands beside his right temple as he said, "I may be proficient in all musical instruments, but I told myself back in the day that I will challenge to play the hardest of them all: for me, it was ze rock'n'roll guitar!"

With one hand on its neck, the right hand fiddled itself until a rose magically emerged from the palm of his hand. He planted the rose between his lips and, eyes sparkling, he addressed to the luckster, "Behold, Makoto Naegi! Ze fruits of practice never fail to impress anyone!"

A hand raised above, everyone locked eyes to the music teacher who began to close his. Light lightning from above, his hand shook the strings with its elegant movements. Rigorously, he played it with relevant ease. Despite being heavy metal, Forte played it so much better compared to Ibuki. Everyone sans Ibuki went wide-eyed at his talent.

"Hmhmhmhm…..were you entertained, my students?" and for our readers, just pick any song you have in mind and put it into your head in that paragraph. He smiled as their jaws opened.

"That's….awesome," Makoto whispered. He later realized again that Forte found the guitar to be his most challenging item compared to the others. Yet, he performed a solo performance flawlessly.

" _Ze fruits of practice never fail to impress anyone!_ " and impressed he definitely was.

And the bell rung, the blonde looked to the clock and nodded. He faced to his students, only four of them, and said, "Alright, everyone! We will do this at a later time. See you when I see you!"

"Yes, sensei!" everyone replied in earnest, earning a scowl from their teacher.

"No, no, no, no. Do not call me by sensei. You've been using that term for too long. Call me," he did some flamboyant moves to emphasize on the name, "Maestro."

"Sure thing, Maestro-sensei!"

"Enough with the sensei already!"

..

Class has ended for the day (finally) and the trio had already left to find their band leader, Ibuki. They found her in the music room once again, tuning the same guitar Forte used. Ibuki looked so serious and solemn as she tested the sound and fine-tuned it at the same time. Then, she tried a few melodies and smiled at the result of it.

"It sounds better, Mioda-chan," commented Sayaka, turning the guitarist's head to her with a beaming smile.

"Sayaka-chan! Leon-chan! Lucky-chan!"

Makoto sweat dropped, but paid no mind. He heard a great deal about her from Hajime and Chiaki, so he shouldn't expect anything normal coming from the multi-coloured haired girl. The singer hugged Ibuki and vice versa. Soon after their greetings, Ibuki started to make an announcement.

"Alright, everyone. Today marks the day our band was formed! Give a cheer!"

"Yeah! Wooohooo!" Leon followed. Sayaka giggled and applauded. The luckster merely smiled, albeit awkwardly.

" _How did I get into this? Oh yeah….Maizono-san._ " For his friend's sake, he ventured into the world of music without knowing scrap of it. However, it could have been weirder if he hadn't joined anything in the academy. He is the Ultimate Luckster – he can be good at anything by luck.

Rarely.

"Okay! Lucky-chan!"

"Y-Yes?!"

"I'm putting you in charge of setting our hangout spots!"

"O-okay!... Huh?!" he was caught off guard and realized he accepted a role without knowing what it's all about. "Wait a minute, Mioda-san! Why me? I barely know anything about Tokyo!"

"If that's all you need to know, then you just need to practice knowing about Tokyo right now!" she said with a grin. Makoto opened his mouth wordlessly and immediately sighed. "So, get to it, Lucky-chan! Where do we go today?"

"Alright, alright. Just let me figure it out by tomorrow," said Makoto whilst everyone looked at him.

..

..

..

"Wha… you want it NOW?!"

Ibuki giggled, "Of course, silly! Nothing starts without taking our first step as the band! I bet none of us know where to go, so it's all up to you, Lucky-chan!"

"But…but….but!"

"Ummm…," Sayaka raised her hand modestly, signaling for their attention. "I've been on tours before and Tokyo's the most popular location there is for one. So, yeah, I know all the good spots in the city."

"Really?! Oh, Maizono-chan, you're the best!" tightly, she hugged the blue-haired girl. "From now on, I'll call you Tokyo-chan! Get it? Cuz you know so much about Tokyo and all…"

"Y-Yes, hahaha…..can you please let me go?" she replied awkwardly. Ibuki let go of him and smiled happily. Class 77th is certainly full of vigor to have students like Ibuki around.

"Well, that's that. We should go outside and start hanging out!"

"Before we start," interrupted Leon, "How are we supposed to 'hang out', when we're still inside? The gate's closed during and after class hours. The only time we can is on the weekends," he emphasized on 'hang out' with obvious gestures. Responding to his question, Ibuki had a sweet smile on her face as she said these words,

"Oh, don't worry! I managed to find something that can help us!"

The band followed her lead...

..

..

..

..

" _This_ is your plan?"

"Yup!"

"It looks…..deep."

"Yup!"

"Are you sure you've made it to the surface before you showed this to us."

"Hmm…. I'm not sure at all!"

"Then like hell am I going to go inside that hole!"

Makoto's left twitched at the hilarity of the situation. No one could have expected this. No one. As Sayaka tried to reason the smiling guitarist, she had her right arm hooked around Leon's neck who was gasping for breath.

He observed the conversation, the advantage surprisingly on the Ibuki. He then shifted his gaze to her work that was supposed to get them out of the academy.

" _A hole in the ground….what's next; the stone age underneath us?_ " he thought to himself. Ibuki, spending hours and hours after class, had shovels dug into the floor before him and, by Ibuki's word, found a way outside the academy. He peered over the hole in the ground and stated, "It's really deep in there."

"Sure it is! Ibuki dug it after all!"

" _It's so deep I think I just wanna stay in there and not mess with Ibuki again_ "

"SO, let's-a goooo!" unfortunately, Ibuki kicked the back of Makoto into the pit. Makoto screamed for help whilst Ibuki laughed as she jumped down. Meanwhile, Sayaka dragged the struggling Leon with her to the hole.

"You're going IN THERE?!"

"We've got no choice! They could be in danger without us!"

"They?! What about us! Our lives are at stake!"

"Theirs, too! So just get in there and help them," with the strength of an elephant, she flung the heavier-than-her body of the baseball player, followed by his helpless yell.

"Granted, it's not the best reason," she muttered to herself, "but I just wanna go outside for once without my manager!"

With those final words yelled out loud, she hopped into the hole.

..

The busy roads of Tokyo.

Underneath is the sewage system which holds all things icky and murky with watery substance mixed into them. Following the deafening silence were the small noises made by rats and unimaginable things, and then the sounds of footsteps getting louder and louder as they reached the sewer entrance above. A light from a flashlight brightened the hall as four individuals walked together in close proximity.

"You think this is the place?"

"Positive!" Ibuki shouted in glee which earned a shush from her band members. Sheepishly, she rubbed the back of her head, "Oops…sorry."

"Hey, I see some light from above!" Leon, with bulge on his head due to the fall, pointed at the light dimming from the ceiling. They were holes leading to the surface!

"Sweet!" Leon continued. "Now, we can get out of this hellhole!"

"Ooooooooo…"

"EEEK!" Leon let out a girly yelp, causing everyone to laugh. Sayaka giggled innocently at his reaction to her stunt. He glared at her and softened it after a while. Eventually, he laughed it off.

"Alright, alright. Can we _please_ get out of here? This place is already giving me the creeps."

"Don't worry, Kuwata-san. We'll get you to safety," joked Makoto. He climbed up the ladder and pushed the sewer lid hard enough for it to allow air to seep through its edges. With one final push, he managed to open a hole and put the lid away. Being the first, he peeped over the exit and found it to be in the alleyway. He finished his climb and peered through the hole, giving the thumbs up to his group. Slowly but surely, everyone had climbed to the alley, leaving the sewer journey behind them.

"We're here, alright," stated Sayaka. "This is near the bakery shop I used to go before my concert every time."

"Must've had good bread," the luckster spoke out of interest. The idol nodded.

"Yeah, they did. The shop's owned by this old couple with a very kind son who took charge of the bakery for them. Right now, his parents are still staying with him," she sighed happily thinking about those moments. "They were a really sweet family. I wish I had something quite like them."

"Like them?"

"Ah, well, you know, like getting to know them better," she laughed his question off, earning her a suspicious stare. Despite that, Makoto shook his head and smiled. Who is he to question her secrets, after all?

He then felt watched, a creepy smile forming on his stalker.

He immediately turned with a solemn face, yet what he found was only a broken piece of mirror leaning on the wall. He eyed the object suspiciously. Later, he was interrupted by a pat on the shoulder from Leon.

"Yo, you comin'? They're heading to the music store without us," asked Leon. Makoto returned back to his cheery self and nodded at him. Together, they went and caught up with the girls. Soon, they had arrived at the shop.

"We're coming in!" uttered Ibuki as she entered, the bell above the door chiming in response. As everyone entered, the owner, an old man with grey hair, came into sight.

"Oh ho, customers! Please, do come in. Take a good look at everything we have," he welcomed them with a welcoming gesture, comforting the group. Later, they searched around to see the myriad types of instruments it offered. Leon checked the bass guitar session which, unfortunately, had a lesser amount of a selection than the others.

Our lovely pink-black-blue-haired performer went to have a look at the electric guitars and acoustic guitars that were adjacent to the former stock. She called to the shop owner, "Hey, Mister! Can Ibuki try playing one of these?"

"Why, yes, please do. Electric guitars may not be my best instrument, but I would love to have someone with experience play me a tune or two."

"Sweet!" she quickly grabbed one of them, attached it with the wire to a nearby speaker, and started playing a horrendous. I will repeat it for good measure; a horrendous tune.

"Owww! Please, not too loud," the old man clamped his ears shut as he yelled. Ibuki finished the tune shortly afterwards and gave him a cheeky smile.

"Ibuki sorry. I didn't think it would sound that loud."

"No, no, it must because of my sensitive ears," he sighed. "I admit; maybe I don't know how loud youngsters today love to hear music."

"Why? What's wrong, mister?" she asked curiously. The owner started by sitting on a conveniently placed chair and rested his right arm on low shelf.

"You don't know this, but customers have been coming less frequently than before. Nowadays, they use computers to do their music. I just wish they'd see that it takes a lot more effort than mashing the keyboard on a device!" Clearly, he looked upset. Ibuki observed his expression, a void of positivity present on his face. He also looked frustrated at something else.

"Back in my day, kids would come rolling in, rich or poor, and would ask for me to play a song for them. They grew with those songs, too! Hah! I must've made them cry when I said 'no sometimes," he smiled sadly. While the guitarist did not share his sentiments of the past, she understood what he really meant.

"Mister, Ibuki dunno if mashing buttons is all they do," she grabbed him by his shoulders and smiled warmly, "but Ibuki thinks you shouldn't give up at all!"

Stunned by her suggestion, he kept silent as she continued, "Ibuki thinks mister only has one huge problem. Just one! And Ibuki thinks that's better than having many, right? So hang in there!"

"I….I….you're right," he muttered. "I shouldn't be sulking like a depressed old man."

"Hey, being old is good, too!" she interrupted him. Flailing her arms around, she continued, "Ibuki knows it too! Ibuki has to show everyone how good metal is and how it's better than those techno music they've been playing. It's hard, but it's what Ibuki love to do." She grabbed a nearby musical instrument and handed it to him. "Being old means you have a lot more experience than anyone else. Ibuki thinks you can use that very well!"

Ending with a smile, the owner felt touched by her words. Despite having different tastes for music, a certain kinship was born to preserve the music they endeavor to keep alive. Grabbing the violin – the only one in his possession – tightly, a tear formed from his right eye. "Th-thank you…..sniff….thank you so much."

Peering from the shelves behind them was Makoto who observed the interactions between them. He never thought Ibuki can be such a great motivational speaker. Seeing her like that gave Makoto an alternative perspective of the guitarist. Of course, his impression on her erratic behavior never changed…

" _It must be nice to have someone to cheer you up. Hehe…what am I saying,_ " he chuckled. Of course he had his parents and his sister that does the job for him. He wouldn't live his life properly if it weren't for the two women and one man that are part of his life. In the end, here he is: a student of the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy. And he would not make it without them.

He keeps reminded of his family more than often. " _Is this what homesick feels like?_ "

" **Nah, you're just kidding yourself, prick**." A voice emerged, alarming Makoto greatly. His eyes widened as he recognized it. Turning to its source, he looked aghast at what he saw.

Of course, this story ain't about him. So let's move on to Sayaka.

She held onto a small trumpet, caressing its side. She was deep in thought about something very personal to her. Refusing to accept it, she shook her head and muttered to herself, "I shouldn't be depressed right now. I just got in."

From the reflection of the trumpet's surface, she could barely see Ibuki's silhouette growing larger, indicating she's approaching the idol. She turned around and smiled, "Hey, Ibuki-senpai! What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied cheerfully. She went and grabbed a trumpet similar to Sayaka's and poorly played it. She giggled to herself, confusing the idol. "You were holding that thing for so long. Wanna try?"

"Uh…. Can I?" she asked hesitantly. Ibuki spurted giggles and replied.

"Of course you can! It's fun to try new things. C'mon, give it a shot!"

Taking her advice, she hesitantly played the trumpet. It was bad, Ibuki knew from the start. But that didn't matter to her. Sayaka looked down in the dumps and, if the trumpet's not what she was thinking, maybe the same instrument might give her a laugh or two. And she did.

She giggled saying, "That was horrible."

"It's okay! Trying is better than nothing!" Ibuki cheered her up. Sayaka beamed a beautiful smile at her, appreciating her way of showing comfort. She shouldn't express her thoughts so freely, she thought. People like Ibuki may found out soon enough and they WILL start to pester her on her problems. It happened so many times and she had hurt them by saying 'No' numerously.

Her problems are for hers to fight alone.

"Anyway, shouldn't we get back to the Academy? I'm getting tired actually."

"No problem! Let's round up everyone and be on our merry way!" Ibuki called the others and asked them to wait in front of the store.

..

Everyone exited after giving their farewells to the kind owner who seemed spirited after Ibuki's little pep talk. Everyone's expressions were full of smiles as they began to converse with one another along the way.

Makoto was the opposite. Silent as the wind, no one noticed him until Leon spoke up.

"Hey, Naegi-kun. You alright? You can talk to us if something's bothering you."

"Huh?" he replied half-heartedly. His eyes were weary and his mouth was frowning. It was then that everyone knew that something's wrong with their lucky friend.

"What's wrong, Makoto-kun? Are you feeling alright? Did something happen back then?"

"Nah, it's nothing, Maizono-san," he laughed it off afterwards, worrying her even more. Still, she knew better than to pry more into it.

"Don't worry, Lucky-chan!" she patted her own chest pridefully and continued, "If worst comes to worst, Ibuki will fix you right up!"

Makoto rolled his eyes, imagining the worst possible ways she can do to 'fix' him up. Nothing can fix what had transpired.

Going their merry way, they did not notice a group of men approaching slowly behind them.

"It's just two boys and two girls. Nothing we can't handle, boss."

"Good. Just beat them up and scram with their money and Sayaka Maizono. Time to make some big buck once we actually ransom the idol of a lifetime," everyone snickered mischievously. All of them wore uniforms fitting the descriptions of thuggish slobs and lazybones looking for some quick cash. All of them quickened their pace.

The quad-group turned right at a junction, losing their sight.

"Hurry already! We're gonna lose them!" he ordered his goons. Soon after, they rushed past their leader to the direction they were headed. They turned right and immediately stopped by their heels. A large man, looking in his 30s, stood before them with his arms crossed. He wore a fairly worn overcoat and has silver-grey hair.

Said man stared coldly at the men chasing the four previously.

..

" _What are you doing here? You're supposed to-"_

" **Tut tut tut… you're being naïve, kid. Don't tell me you've forgotten how I do things?** "

" _Hold on…what do you mean? Is he….. Is he really here?"_

" **BINGO! YOU SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS, DUMBASS!** "

He gritted his teeth at the thought. Thankfully, he reminisced the moment after they continued their trek to the sewer entrance. They had turned round the corner of the same bakery store and entered the alley. Ibuki located and ran to the sewer lid, checking if no one used it after they left. It wasn't.

She loosened the lid and slid it aside, a black hole with ladders going down greeting her. She turned and waved at them, signaling its okay to go back.

And down the ladder they went with Ibuki, Sayaka, Leon and Makoto in that order. Together, they ran back to the other side, giggling and laughing along the way, disregarding any danger they initially thought the sewers would have.

"We're already here! Ibuki found the hole!"

"Finally, we can get out of this hellhole. It's starting to smell!" complained Leon. They all climbed up the hole, dirt and dust sticking to their clothes, and made it back up in one piece. They all sat down feeling tired from all the running. They panted hard.

"Whew…..that was…fun," pants filled gaps of Leon's sentence. Makoto, with a skeptic look, replied.

"If that's your way of fun, then I'm not having it next time."

The idol giggled, "That's probably because you've been bullied by Ibuki to go into the hole, wasn't it? I feel sorry for you, Makoto-kun."

"Well, you guys should just rest after such a long fun day, amirite?"

"Oh, we will, Teach. We will…."

A moment of silence for the four.

..

"I cannot believe that my own students broke the most basic rules of our beloved academy. Oh, this is _affreux_!" nagged Forte who was now walking around in circles, his use of the French language seems apparent. Though, Sayaka thought, he may have used some grammatically mistaken words in the process. Four students sat on their desks before him and the class black board behind him. All except Ibuki hung their heads in shame and had their hands placed on their lap.

"I had to ask for Ginryo's help to find you four and, believe me, I was trying my best to convince him that you left the academy at all! Then he started sniffing and stampeded his way through hallways and I saw him jump over our fence and ran like a bull!"

"Don't scare them like that, Forty. You and I already knew Ibuki-chan here will pull anything when given the chance," entered Ginryo from behind. Makoto looked back and was bewildered by the sudden reveal.

"G-Ginryo-san?! You knew?"

"Sure we did! I spent a year with her class, too. I _am_ the only Survival subject teacher, you know?" he answered proudly.

Forte sighed and slowed his pace to a halt, "Though I must agree with you, I cannot help but feel pitiful of her. I mean, look!" He pointed a finger at Ibuki, causing everyone to direct their gazes at the rock singer. She swayed left and right on her chair whilst looking outside the window, daydreaming.

"Ahem!"

"Hm?" she turned and grinned widely at her teacher. "Hi! What can Ibuki do for you, Forte-sensei?"

"You did not realize I was here. Oh, l'horreur!" cried the blonde as he turned away with defeat visible on his face. Everyone sweat dropped; ever a fanatic for drama.

Ginryo coughed, "I don't think it's too much of a problem if you wanna go out. I've seen plenty trying those kinds of stunts before."

"Really, Teach?" wondered Leon out loud.

"Really really! All you have to do is just ask and we'll set the date for ya," he had a big smile when he said those words. It comforted their hearts so much. Makoto wished they would have started by asking sooner than before. Now, he's regretting the group's decision today.

"But dang, you guys sure made one hell of an escape route. Makes me want to petition that plan to the academy board soon. Am I right, Forty?"

Distraught as he may be, he turned and held his head up high, wearing a weary smile as a sign of his approval. Blinking, Makoto, Leon and Sayaka couldn't believe what they heard from the two staff.

"You mean you'll…do that? Is it even possible?" Sayaka questioned him. It's not every day a school would do it for a student's once-foolproof scheme. Ginryo nodded to her question. Her expression brightened, followed by the rest. Ibuki just sat there, smiling knowingly.

The seeker caught her in the act, however, and asked, "You knew there was a way to get out of here from the start, didn't you?"

"Hmmmm maybe," she giggled afterwards, confusing him. Still, he thanked her somewhat for the little notification.

..

"And please do note our next class when I give the message in your devices, please, _des étudiants_! And call the great Forte Beaute 'Maestro' next class!"

"We will. Thank you and sorry for the trouble we caused," politely said Sayaka. After the hustle and bustle about their getaway, they were forgiven and sent off to the dorm. Ibuki had already apologized to them and they accepted it. Now, they are currently making their way to the dorms.

Makoto, however, had other plans. He excused himself from the group, saying he had left something behind at the music room. He walked hastily and opened the door once he arrived. He looked around and found his headset. He smiled gratefully, "Oh, thank God it's here."

He picked it up and exhaled a sigh of relief. A thought came to him afterwards; he checked if anyone was using the class. It wasn't, so he took this time to do something special. He saw the guitar – the very same acoustic version – and hung its strap around his neck. He proceeded to sit down on the nearest chair and started to play a soundtrack – specifically from a particular game. He played it with finesse, his foot tapping to the beat as he remembered how the song sounded in-game. Twisting into his little version of it, a harmony unlike any other filled the room with giddy entertaining music.

And a clap and another was heard at the end of the song. The luckster fidgeted. "I had thought you to be quite an entertainer. Naughty liar, you, Makoto Naegi."

"F-F-Forte-sensei! You've been there the whole time?" he almost yelled at the teacher, fearing what he would think of him: a liar. However, the latter shook his head and smiled.

"On the contrary, I was making my way to the teacher's room when I heard such a beautiful melody from here. I knew you are quite special from the moment you had the guitar on your lap."

"Yeah, probably…eh heh heh," he lowered his gaze just enough to avoid his teacher's. Suddenly, Forte pulle another chair and sat on it. He put his right leg over the other and waited patiently.

"I would like to hear more of it from you, Mr. Makoto. Go on," he asked with a serious face, meaning he's not kidding. Gulping, Makoto tried to play a classic this time and a lovely melody was present. Forte closed his eyes, feeling the depth of his performance strongly.

He imagined himself listening to this piece with the both of them placed in a valley where a bottomless pit exists. He and the luckster sat dangerously near the edge of a cliff. In his mind, Forte imagined various animals resting beside him as they also listened to Makoto. The wind is nigh and the vegetation green with glee.

A perfect description of the two of them; sitting alone in the world of music and the valley is their stage without an audience. Just between teacher and student.

"What do you think?" Makoto asked, finally finishing his piece. Forte was unaware that tears were forming from his eyes. Then, he sobbed uncontrollably, much to the chagrin of the luckster. "Uhhh…" he spoke.

"F-Forgive me. I have never felt so much passion from you before! C'est Magnifique!" he shouted at the end of it, his tears becoming non-existent. "You have skill AND the guts to go further and further! Your performance is far more impressive than I first thought! Bravo!"

"Um….thanks? But it's really nothing," he remained humble. Forte laughed at his attitude.

"Nonsense! You're too humble for your own good. Lighten up! Why would you want to waste this talent of yours?"

Makoto looked grim after hearing his question. He made a sidelong glance to the right and whispered, "I have no choice but to waste it for something I need to have."

"Hm? Come again?"

"Ah, nothing! Yeah, you're probably right, Forte-sensei."

"See?! I am always right in music! Hohohohoho!" both of them laughed in the end, Makoto's secret distancing away from their conversation.

" _He's really a good guy when you know him. Plus, he's really good at learning about people. I shouldn't be that worried about him. He probably knows better than to pry...right?_

..

..

..

 _Either way, I won't trust him. Ever."_

 _.._

It is night time. On a different day. In a different setting.

The concrete roads of Tokyo became drenched in the molecules of rain. Passing by skyscraper after skyscraper and hotel after hotel, a black Mercedes car drove cautiously with its headlights on. The driver is no one special – just your average Japanese citizen in the line of work. Rather, the influential sitting in the back is our person of interest for the day.

A bullet which pierced through the side window targeted the driver's skull. The lifeless corpse steered the car in a sloppy turn to one of the street lamps, effectively bringing the car to a crashing halt. Smoke was barely visible in the area as rain kept pouring onward. Thankfully, our person of interest managed to break the windows at the back and escaped hastily through it.

"Oh god no! My phone. Where's my phone?!" he spoke in fear as he ran cowardly to some alley. He quickly typed a message on his phone, not caring if a phone call made more sense than a text message.

 _ **THEY FOUND ME**_

 _ **REQUESTING IMMEDIATE EXFIL.**_

"Tut tut… you're just wasting their time, buddy," out of nowhere, a large kukri was thrown towards the man and struck him from behind. The target let out an anguish scream of pain, befitting for someone of his position. The force of the throw pushed him forward, tripping him accidentally and fell him on the ground. Groaning in both agony and fear, his hands automatically gripped the grass before him and hopelessly pulled himself to it. He scratched his way away from his assailant; he grew more fearful and far more hysterical to the point he started calling for his mother.

"Mama! MAMAAAA! Help me!?"

" **Ahahahahahahaha! Mama can't save you now, little boy!** " the assailant jumped and sat on him. The knife was pulled agonizingly slowly, having it twisted here and there – all the while the puller enjoyed the screams the man made.

Those very same screams was cut off by the sound of blood spit and splattered; a gore which deserves no audience.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'M BACK, BI- I MEAN, FELLOW READERS! AGAIN! I KNOW! I DELAY TOO MUCH ON REQUESTS!

Ahem... as I wrote this chapter, it was hard to capitalize on the band's main focus: the hangout. I haven't delved too much on their attitudes and cooperation with one another. Hence, it may seem like it's an introduction to the band's development.

And Makoto's still a secret mess...

It's justified to say that this chaptertook the longest time because a. Ibuki's a hard one to write, and b. I don't hang out that often with friends...

I know. I'm a sad person.

Anyhow, That's it for the Life chapters. I apologise for my frequent delays and empty promises. Rest assured, the plan goes on.

Follow, Favourite, Review. Do a Radiant Unity and click all of them!

By the way, have you seen the latest Danganronpa anime trailer? Chiaki's role in the anime is going to be something i'm going to observe very closely once it comes out.

For now, I will continue with the main story branch. I hope you will stay with me. I don't...talk much, but I will try to interact as often as I can.

The story will continue on with a vacation of some sorts. So - next time!

The trip of a lifetime...literally! Until then...


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